Predicting Murder
by Sorkari
Summary: Eren is a gifted writer who's working on his novel 'Attack on Titan'. He's left drooling over Levi, the supposed new student, who offers to edit/publish his story. Eren gladly accepts, but during the process in the last two years of High School, he notices that the 'harmless' events in his gory novel start to resemble tragedies in real life. Yaoi. Modern day Riren. More info inside
1. First Impressions

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan), nor do I own any of the characters. The songs/restaurant names do not belong to me, I only used them in here for my own sick amusement. All rights reserved.

**Warnings: **This is a yaoi (boy/boy) fanfiction that contains violence, blood/gore, murder, suicide, suicidal thoughts/references, heavy language, masturbation, suggestive themes, self harm, eventual male on male smut, drug usage, fluff, attempted rape, rape, animal/child abuse and manga spoilers. Modern day (high school) Levi x Eren AU – excessive amounts of death and violence later down the road, with minor side pairings to keep you company.

**Note: **This is not a fanfiction for the lighthearted. The way things work in the high school(s) in this fanfiction is based off of the high schools in my area. I twisted the characters because I'm a thug like that (deal with me), so you have Eren who's a complete dumbass when it comes to math, Levi who's a sassy metal-head, and Armin who's a poofy ball of comics and anime. Reviews are very much appreciated.

Enjoy,

Sorkari

* * *

_**Chapter One: First Impressions**_

- _Eren reached out towards his mother, fruitlessly calling for her. His eyes widened at the sight of his mother's twitching body, her face pale and appealing to the eyes of Death. It hurt so much, but he couldn't look away. The Titan that had very recently cracked her back in half lifted her up to its mouth and loosened its jaw._

_"Stop it!" -_

Eren stared at the computer screen with an irritated look on his face. This had been the fourth time he rewrote the first chapter of his novel, and _hell_, was he pissed off. No matter how many times he read over it or tried to rewrite it, nothing sounded right to him. He yawned deeply and stretched his back, absentmindedly shoving his ear buds further into his ears. It didn't matter how loud he played his music or how long he listened to it – he couldn't seem to lay his hands on inspiration. He scanned through numerous opened programs on his task bar and right clicked _Windows Media_, closing the tab and throwing his ear buds onto the keyboard.

He sat back in his chair and reached for a stray pen, bringing it up to his mouth and chewing lightly. Eren stared at the screen with dwindling interest, and instead of going back to his keyboard to type his life away again, his eyes scanned the walls around him. Various pictures were posted up on his walls in dusty picture frames – there was one with his best friend, Armin, and his sister, Mikasa – one with a doctor's coat draped carelessly around his shoulders and a clipboard in his hand that had the name '_G. Jaeger_' written in loopy cursive on the back– a picture of him holding a [disgustingly fluffy] tarantula in his hands from Science Camp – and the one that made his eyes droop; a picture of his mother, her arms wrapped tightly around him with a bright smile on her face.

As much as it hurt to look back at his mother's death, he found no problem at all in writing, _rewriting_, and reading his own mother's death in his novel. Eren was a gifted writer, which was considered 'rare' for his generation of high school kids. Most of the students in his English class couldn't write a decent essay even to save their own lives (Eren snorted at the thought). His eyes were still staring at the picture of him and his mother, gradually leaning further back in his chair and resting a foot on the edge of his desk. It was a comfortable position, and he started to zone out...

'_Keep your weapons aimed...'_

His ring tone suddenly blasted throughout the whole room from his phone (hell, was it always that loud?) and caused him to flinch uneasily. The sudden flinch made him lose his balance and fall backwards, the back of his head hitting the carpet and a loud thud adding to the noise of his ringtone.

_'… here comes the chilling face...'_

With a groan of discomfort, he propped himself up all fours and crawled away from his chair, the back of his head throbbing painfully. He propped himself up on his knees and reached out to his smart phone that was still ringing shrilly at the edge of his desk. As much as he liked the song, it was very annoying to have it at such a high volume, especially early in the morning during his vacation.

_'… pushing down your fear...'_

Pressing a finger on the green answer button on his screen, he brought it up to his ear and answered, "Hello?"

_"Eren?"_

He instantly recognized this voice. "Oh, hey Armin!"

"_Don't you 'Oh, hey Armin' me! Where are you?!_"

"What's wrong? I'm at home like everyone else," Eren replied with a confused tone in his voice.

A sigh was heard from the other end. "_Eren, orientation is today! To- day! If you're late again, Mr. Pixis will kill you!_"

Eren processed this for a moment before gasping and glancing towards his clock. It read thirty past seven in the morning. He felt his heart clench tightly in fear; orientation starts in fifteen minutes.

"Jesus, why didn't you call me earlier?!" Eren yelled into the phone. "I need to go wake up Mikasa -"

"- _Mikasa's already here,_" Armin's worried voice rang in his ears, "_She's in student government now, didn't she tell you that? She's been here for a long time, why didn't she wake you up?_"

Eren reached into his closet and pulled out a pair of old jeans, rushing towards his bed to replace his pajama pants. "She was up around six... holy shit, Armin, I'm dead! I only have fifteen minutes!"

_"This is why you should have gotten your permit. School isn't that far away, superspeed and life will be just dandy. Forget about Starbucks this morning and get over here – Now!_"

Armin hung up on him with that one last word. Eren could have sworn he heard laughter in the background. How embarrassing. The brunette scanned the room for a pair of shoes and spotted a pair of slip on _Vans _tossed carelessly next to his desk. Thank God he was lazy – if he wasn't, he wouldn't of chosen shoes without shoelaces. He slipped on his shoes and reached for his flashdrive, yanking it out of its port without taking the time to eject it correctly. The document file that read 'Attack on Titan' instantly closed; reaching for his jacket, he stuffed the flashdrive into his pocket and hastened out the room.

**o0o0o0o**

Eren ran through the crowded city streets, his jacket lightly swinging around in his arm. He didn't even have the chance to put it on before he left. Since he had been running, his body already felt fervent, so he didn't need it. His breathing was already ragged after running for such a long time, and by now, his legs were starting to throb painfully with fatigue. As he sidestepped a rather slow walker in front of him, he immediately collided with someone else, falling backwards onto his rear and instinctively protecting his head with both arms. The person he had bumped into also fell to the ground, along with the sound of water splashing and an irritated growl. Passersby laughed as they walked, eying the two on the ground. Eren propped himself up on two elbows and looked up to apologize to whoever he bumped into.

"I'm so -"

His apology was immediately interrupted, "- Save it,"

He saw that the person he ran into had a rather unimpressed look on his face. He wore an expensive looking jacket that was buttoned up to his chest with the collar of a white dress shirt visible under that. His eyebrows were furrowed into a 'concerned' expression while his irises were tinted a very dark shade of gray, his raven-like hair neatly combed and worn in an undercut. Eren stared at him as he got to his feet, utterly speechless, until he caught himself and offered a hand. For some reason, he had the urge to laugh at the fact that this guy was actually shorter than him.

"Sorry about that, I was in a hurry," Eren apologized, trying his hardest not to breathe so heavily from his run.

The raven let out a 'tch' of disapproval and slapped his hand away as if it was holding a disease. "The fuck was that, kid? Rushing to take a shit? Bathroom's over there," he pointed over his shoulder with his thumb as he got to his feet, rolling his eyes at the mess of coffee on the ground. "Damn... Starbucks is expensive as hell, you know,"

Eren was taken aback by his insults and stared at him in disbelief. Instead of insulting him back, he offered, "I could get you a new one,"

"You're lucky that shit wasn't hot,"

He saw that the raven's jacket was tinted brown around the waist with coffee, slowly spreading down to his lower abdomen. He removed the jacket and stared at the large coffee stain in disgust, reaching down to pick up his spilled coffee cup and throwing it away in the nearest trash bin. Eren rolled his eyes and crossed his arms; this guy acted like such a clean freak. While he watched the raven give the coat in his arms a skeptical look, he saw that his wrists were covered with numerous bracelets made out of rubber and string. A curious look spread across Eren's face as he saw that one of the bracelets had a very small key chain of a symbol dangling from a loose bit of string – a flame with the letters 'TFK' in the middle, if he saw correctly.

He noticed Eren staring at his bracelets and rolled his eyes, covering his wrists with the sleeves of his dress shirt. "What's wrong, brat?"

The brunette snapped out of his daze and retorted, "What do you mean 'what's wrong'? Don't call me a brat, I'm not a little kid anymore!"

With an amused 'hmph', he replied, "Really? Honestly, kid, you look like a damned Freshman. Shouldn't you be shopping for back-to-school supplies or something?"

Eren's eyes widened as he remembered where he was supposed to be in about ten minutes. He ignored the insult and sped off again, muttering his thanks as he passed the raven. Once he turned the corner, he looked back and with only one question on his mind.

Who the hell was that guy?

**o0o0o0o**

Eren ended up making it to the orientation, though he was five minutes late. It didn't really matter this time; the principle was late to the orientation this year, so he considered himself lucky. A mix of other Juniors and Seniors were left to gossip and visit outside in the parking lot as they waited with the vice principle. Eren was one of the very few students that actually enjoyed school (in one way or another). It took him a little to catch his breath, and while Armin was telling him about the theories he made during the vacation about the ocean and such, he allowed his eyes to scan the image of their high school. With a soft sigh, his eyes rest on the detailed picture of the school's symbol right under the title 'Freedom High School'.

There are only three notable high schools within the three districts. Freedom High was home to Maria's district, Garrison High belonging to Rose, and Prestige High being located in Sina. There were only three districts in total in the area that branched off to neighboring cities (like Karanese, Utopia, or Stohess). All three high schools were quite similar with only minor changes (such as GPA or offered classes), yet Prestige was quite fond of announcing themselves as 'superior' from all three. This was correct if looked at from a given angle; the name of the school isn't just for show and tell. It was a prestigious school that only accepts students with top scores in their classes (but favoritism can easily get someone in as well). Yet at the end of the day, all three high schools hated each other and rarely got along (basketball games easily pronounces that statement with the amount of broken noses).

Freedom High's symbol was beautiful compared to the others – two wings, one blue and one white, coming together like puzzle pieces and crossing over each other to represent teamwork, friendship, and loyalty. Or at least that was what the Principle, Dot Pixis, would tell every Freshman that he laid eyes on. The school's mascot was a defined solider, saluting at the foot of the Wings of Freedom (though the mascot was hardly ever seen together with the symbol). Prestige's symbol was a unicorn that had reared on its hind legs, its mane flowing beautifully as it represented the school's superiority, loyalty, and beauty (or at least that was what Eren heard about it over the years he lived in Maria). Its mascot was, of course, a king. Garrison hardly compared to the other two, since they had no official mascot and only used roses to represent themselves. Despite it being simple, it still meant something, but no one knew exactly what.

Armin slapped his shoulder to gain his attention and said, "Eren, are you listening to me? Orientation's about to start and you've been staring off into space this whole time,"

"What...? Oh... I'm fine. Is Mr. Pixis here yet?" the brunette asked as he tore his eyes away from the Wings of Freedom and scanned the mass of students.

Armin nodded vigorously. "Yes, he's here, and about time, too. I'll bet you my whole manga collection that vice-principle Erwin decided to hold it off because he didn't know what to do,"

"And if you're wrong?"

"Let's not think about that..."

Eren chuckled lightly and peered through the mass of students. "Armin, have you seen Mikasa?"

"No, but I was talking to Hanji earlier and she said something about Mikasa setting up chairs,"

"Hanji's in student government? I thought she was taking an extra science class instead of an elective," he gasped, earning a nod from his friend.

"I thought so, too,"

Eren stretched out his back and grunted with relief at the popping, watching as Armin readjusted cuffs of his dress shirt. Before he had the chance to spark conversation with his friend, he felt a prickling sensation at the back of his neck; the feeling of being watched. He instinctively spun around to see who it was, expecting it to be a friend of some sort, but he immediately lost his breath when his bright green eyes met with dark gray. He didn't think that the raven... would actually be a Junior... or maybe Senior. They merely stared at each other for a moment before Eren felt someone tug on the sleeve of his shirt.

Armin asked with a mocked tone of a concerned voice, "You all right? I thought you stopped breathing completely,"

There was a faint spark in the raven's eye – and if Eren was correct... it was a spark of interest. Or maybe he was just getting his hopes up. Before he had the chance to stalk off, he was interrupted with an excited squeal.

"- _Levi!_"

… Levi was his name?

Eren watched as Hanji excitedly threw her arms around 'Levi' and embraced him tightly. Levi stumbled back for a bit before hesitantly raising a hand and patting Hanji on the back. To his greatest embarrassment, Hanji spun him around in her arms and squealed even harder. Passersby started to snicker at their little reunion.

"It's been _so _long! And you're still shorter than me!"

Once the brunette let go of Levi, he clucked his tongue impatiently and pushed her away. "... Missed you too, four-eyes,"

Eren was practically gawking at this point. He's never seen Hanji embrace someone so tightly before (besides Armin when he agreed to be her guinea pig for an experiment). Another weak tug was felt on his sleeve.

The blonde giggled and tugged a bit harder, muttering, "... I'd hate to interrupt your show, but I think we're supposed to be heading towards the gym now. Look,"

He pointed over his shoulder towards the principle, who was wearing a casual dress shirt and black pants held up with a leather belt. Pixis wore that every year, and chances were pretty good that he was going to repeat the same welcoming speech he did last year (and the year before that). While he groaned and turned to complain to Armin, he was interrupted by the principle's cheerful voice.

"Welcome back, soldiers! It's been too long!"

He sighed and stared at the Wings of Freedom, allowing himself to zone out of the speech like he did the past two years.

**o0o0o0o**

Eren rest his head on one folded hand and impatiently tapped a finger against the edge of his seat. He waited in one of the empty seats off to the corner of the library while various students came by to retrieve their books. The librarian and a small number of members from the student government were giving out the new textbooks for their Junior or Senior year by the alphabetical order of their last names. He gave Armin a playful punch to the arm for having a last name that started with an 'A', and to his greatest relief, Armin returned to him with his arms filled with books rather than leaving him there to rot. The blonde neatly stacked his books by size on the table and buried himself in a comic book that he brought along with him (Eren wasn't surprised when he saw the title '_Smallville_' written in bold letters across the cover).

While the students with last names that started with 'F' lined up for their books, Eren blankly stared outside the window, and the only thing that pulled him out of his trance was the sudden movement in the corner of his eye. He instinctively cocked his head in that direction, only to see that it was Levi. His eyes narrowed with curiosity as he scanned Levi's textbooks; by the looks of the covers, they had the same classes. That only made his heart skip a beat – Levi was in the same year as him.

An amused mewl left Armin's lips as he poked his friend's shoulder. "Ooh, who's that, Eren? You've been staring at that guy this whole time,"

"B- Bullshit," Eren muttered, a flustered blush forming on his cheeks.

"Hey, why don't you go talk to him?" The blonde shoved his comic into his vest and wrapped an arm around Eren's shoulders. He pointed to Levi (as if he were observing a strange creature) and said, "He's blasting his ears out with whatever he's listening to now. Maybe you two like the same singer?"

Eren merely nodded as he watched Levi scroll through his phone, and sure enough, he was very lightly bobbing his head to the beat of whatever he was listening to. It took him a while to notice that the raven's sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, leaving his bracelets in full display. His eyes drooped with disbelief as he read the words 'Pierce the Veil' and 'Suicide Silence.'

"Just great," Eren leaned back in his seat and sighed, "he's a metal-head,"

Armin squeaked and tightened the grip he had around his shoulders. "That makes things ten times better! Talk to him already! His kind are practically extinct now!"

While he said that, Levi's eyes snapped towards their direction and narrowed dangerously. Armin retracted his arm from around the brunette's shoulders as if he was burned, shrinking behind one of his textbooks with a small squeak. Before anything else could happen, Eren heard someone call out to him (_"Hey Eren, they called your last name already! Are you coming or what?"_), and he gladly took that as an excuse to leave.

**o0o0o0o**

After most of the students left the campus with their arms (or bags) heavy with certain textbooks, Eren and Armin decided to wait for Mikasa on a bench near the cafeteria. Armin continued to read through his comic book while Eren idly scrolled through the pictures on his phone. Most of the students were waiting for their ride out in the front of the school, but it wasn't like Pixis or Erwin didn't trust them. Freedom High wasn't known for having rowdy students, and what was more was the fact that they were the upper class. It was only natural to expect responsibility and maturity from them.

Erwin leaned back against one of the classroom doors and absentmindedly adjusted his bolo tie. He couldn't deny that the orientations were boring as hell. While he carefully watched over a shady-looking group of seniors, he felt someone tug on the sleeve of his jacket. Expecting that it was a curious student, he smiled brightly to greet them, but that was only met with a small growl.

"Anyone can see through your bullshit smiles,"

He rolled his eyes and looked down at his visitor. "No one but you, Levi,"

The raven slipped his ear buds under his shirt and brought one up to his left ear through the collar of his shirt. While he adjusted his collar and slipped out his phone, he muttered, "I can't believe you're leaning on a disgusting door that probably hasn't been cleaned in God knows how long. Let's go already, I'm bored as fuck,"

Erwin hummed softly in approval, and to please Levi, he left his place against the 'disgusting' door. "As much as I agree with you, I'm going to have to stay until everyone's off campus,"

Levi sighed and scrolled through his music folder, stopping at a certain song and setting it to replay itself every time it ended. While he listened to the music through the bud that was placed in his left ear, he stared off into the distance and spotted a familiar set of green eyes. He rolled his eyes when he saw Eren greet a girl with a tight hug. That girl had black hair like him, and what he found interesting was that she was wearing a red scarf. Summer wasn't the greatest of times to wear a scarf, but then again, it wasn't even that hot out around eight in the morning.

He absentmindedly elbowed Erwin's side (he couldn't do much else with how short he was) and asked, "Hey, do you know that kid? With the green eyes and obnoxious hair? He looks very..._ familiar_... I think I've met him before..."

"Who?" the blonde followed Levi's trail of sight before letting out a small huff of amusement. "Oh, that's Eren Jaeger. You don't know how many times he was sent to the nurse's office these last two years for fighting with one of his classmates,"

Levi clucked his tongue and raised the extra ear phone to his right ear. "So he's the average brat that's probably dumber than a fucking sack of mentally retarded rocks. Hmph... typical..."

Erwin watched as the raven adjusted the two buds in his ears, and he could have sworn he heard the sound of drums and harsh voices. With a concerned raise of the eyebrow, he pulled the bud out of his right ear, earning a reproachful look.

"You're going to go deaf before you even hit thirty,"

He narrowed his eyes and plucked the ear phone out of Erwin's large hand as if it were a feather. "Might as well enjoy it while it lasts, right?"

The blonde mischievously grinned as he asked, "Why did you want to know about Eren? It sounds to me like you're a little interested,"

Levi paused for a moment before growling, "I wouldn't be interested in some bratty Junior that looks like he's in seventh grade. He'd total shit at first impressions, too,"

"First impressions are overrated, anyways! If anything, you should be asking him for advice when it comes to writing. You'd be impressed from the things he's written in his English classes,"

"Like hell I'd take your word for it. We'll just see if he's in any of my classes,"

Erwin gave a warm smile and said, "You know... you haven't changed that much over these last couple of years, have you?"

"Hmph...why the fuck not," Levi stared at the bracelets on his wrists and continued, "It's hard to believe that these brats have any kind of academic talents at all. I wonder why I came back to this shitty school,"

Before Erwin had the chance to protest in any way possible, the raven stepped away from him and placed his ear bud back in place. He allowed himself to sink into the fast beat of the music, impatiently waiting for the rest of the students to leave the campus so they could finally return home.

**o0o0o0o**

"You owe me your whole manga collection,"

"T- That's not even fair!"

Armin buried his face into Eren's pillow and groaned. According to Mikasa, Erwin was more than capable of holding the orientation himself, but he didn't want to disrespect the principle like that. While Eren leaned back in his chair and placed his foot on the edge of his desk to support himself, he grinned cheekily at Armin, who was whining into the depths of his pillow. The blonde returned with Eren and Mikasa to their home, and since his grandfather was willing to pick him up later on that day, he didn't have to worry about breaking his arms with all his textbooks. Armin rolled onto his back on his friend's bed and removed the pillow from his face to speak.

"... What about I do your physics homework this next year instead...?"

Eren rolled his eyes. "Science is the least of my worries,"

The blonde sighed in defeat and hugged the pillow. Eren openly laughed and removed his foot from the edge of the desk, allowing the chair (and himself) to fall back into the correct place. He stared off into space for a moment when he tried straining his ears, but all he heard was the dull clattering noises of dishes being washed in the kitchen. It was probably Mikasa, but he couldn't deny that some part of him wished that he heard the similar screech of the car parking in the driveway, followed by his father who would vividly greet them with hugs. If only that would happen again, but now that Eren and Mikasa were more than capable of handling themselves, their father stayed up late in the hospital he worked at, saving lives and stitching wounds.

While he pulled away from his little trance, there was a sudden movement at the corner of his eye, and he reflexively flinched to protect himself. Thank God it was only his pillow; with Armin around, it could have been a book. He skillfully caught the pillow in his hands and held it close to him as if it were a shield, and as soon as he looked up to question his friend, he was met with a pout completed with puppy dog eyes. The blonde was sitting up with another pillow hugged to his chest, but this one was smaller, and he stared at Eren through enlarged eyes. This would have worked if they hadn't known each other for more than half of their lives.

He reluctantly sighed, "I'm not even interested in manga anyways,"

Armin hissed out a 'yes' of victory and plopped back down onto the bed. With a small giggle, he asked, "Eren, who was that guy? It's been way too long since I've seen you look at anyone like that,"

"His name is Levi -" _(Eren turned away to hide the blush on his cheeks)_ "- I never really met him before... we just bumped into each other earlier,"

"He's hot, isn't he?"

"A- Armin?!"

He sat up on the bed and grinned cheekily at the brunette. "I'm only saying what's been going through that sick head of yours! And look, you're even_ blushing_!"

Eren growled in frustration and threw back the pillow he received earlier. This took Armin by full surprise, and he was barely given the chance to react. With a sharp gasp, he caught the pillow before it hit his face, and he shoved it behind him with a small 'hmph!'

"Well, are you going to talk to him, or not?" Armin crossed his legs and propped his elbow on his knee, resting his head on one folded hand. "School starts on Monday, and the last time I checked, it's Sunday. Are you trying to say that he'd forget you by then? Come on! You got your schedule today, right? Just check what classes he has before the first bell rings,"

"I can't do that!"

"Of course you can!"

He sighed and dropped his flashdrive onto his keyboard. He gave it a skeptical look before asking, "Say... do you think he's a good writer?"

"What, you want to do a collab with him on your novel?" the blonde drooped his head and continued, "I'm just letting you know right now, if this Levi guy can't tell the difference between 'you're' and 'your', I'll throw a comic book at him,"

Eren grinned cheekily at this reaction. "I thought you'd get used to that after editing all my stories,"

"I never did! How many years has it been?! We're in high school, you should know that by now!" he flared.

"So I've been pissing you off with how intellimagent my grammar and spelling was since seventh grade?"

"_Eren!_"


	2. Time

**Note:** We all know that nothing happens on the first two chapters. I'm just using them for introduction, but things will start speeding up soon. I promised a friend of mine that I'd get shit done on the second chapter so I can start the actual plot on the third, so I'm sorry if it's a bit long. I'm pretty sure she'd elbow drop me if I tried telling her otherwise.

**Disclaimer:** None of the manga, bands, or songs mentioned in this chapter belong to me. The song that Eren listens to wasn't made by me, either. It's an OST from DRAMAtical Murder named 'Shape. Memory. Music.' or 'Jellyfish Song.' The phone case design is also from DRAMAtical Murder.

* * *

_**Chapter Two: Time**_

It was true when Armin mentioned something about time waiting for no one. One moment, Eren was snuggling under his blankets while staring blankly at his digital clock through half-lidded eyes, and the next moment, he woke up later than he should have. Thank God that he left the door to his room unlocked after Armin left; who knows what would have happened if Mikasa didn't come in and wake him up that morning. Everything was steadily falling apart after every worried glance towards his clock, each minute making him panic even more. He didn't even get the chance to eject his flashdrive correctly from his computer, and what made things worse, he caught a split second view of a tiny window popping up. It would have been mental if he saw the words 'project failed' (because the last time he checked, he didn't bother saving the Attack on Titan file).

Now, after drinking a good two cups of coffee and carelessly leaving the empty cups in Mikasa's car (which she took no mind to), he sat alone in the library, impatiently waiting for Armin. He arrived fairly early to Freedom High since Mikasa had to attend an hour early before school to help set up for the opening rally. Student government must have been tough on her, considering the fact that she had a part time job sometime in the evening and usually returned home around six o'clock (night). No one knows why she bothered taking the part time job, not even Eren, himself; their family made a very healthy income ever since their father had been promoted to a surgeon. The raven took no mind to that, and instead of using the money their father offers them, she simply earns the money through her own struggles and buys the groceries when their father doesn't.

After a good amount of students gradually poured into the library, Eren dozed off on the computer chair and weakly played with the flashdrive in his hand. The dull murmurs of students whispering to each other and the low rumble of his computer slowly faded away, but that comfort came to an abrupt stop when he heard the sound of a heavy backpack hitting the seat next to him. He flinched at the loud noise, allowing his head to slip from his hand and smack onto the desk. With a pained snort, he rubbed his head and blinked stupidly at the person who was standing behind him. The mischievous giggle answered most of his questions.

"That looked like it hurt,"

"Armin, you little shit," he groaned.

Armin hummed softly as he ran his fingers through his friend's hair. "You're not a morning person at all. Did you get your coffee?"

Eren felt a small shiver of mild pleasure run down his spine as his hair was gently caressed and tugged. He slapped Armin's hands away and snapped, "If I say yes, you'll complain about me not bringing you any,"

"Yeah, because you never do!"

He rolled his eyes at the blonde's pout and searched the computer area for a port to inject his flashdrive into. As Armin replaced the backpack on the seat next to him and tapped his fingers on the keyboard, he jammed the flashdrive into the port, hoping for the best. To his greatest relief, the small blue light at the end flickered vividly and a file popped up before him. The only bad thing about it was... the window before him wasn't the usual folder that contained his novel and a small number of songs. It said something about the Attack on Titan file failing and loosing its contents.

Before he had the chance to panic, Armin gripped his shoulder and whispered soothingly, "I knew this would have happened sooner or later. I'll restore the file and it'll be fine,"

"... And if it's not?"

"I have a copy of your novel at home, anyways. I just don't have your latest chapter,"

Eren sighed in relief and slumped back on his chair like a rag doll, allowing his friend to click various options to restore his novel. Praise the Lord he was best friend with a computer geek. A few moments later, a small screen popped up with an empty bar, bearing the title 'Restoring... 0%.' After watching the bar being washed through with a green ray for a good minute or two, the zero percent changed to one percent. He groaned and dropped his head onto the desk.

"This shit's gonna take forever,"

"Nah, don't worry about that. Apparently you wrote a good ten pages without saving, and that's the only thing you're missing," Armin rolled his eyes at the thankful look he received. "I'm guessing it'll take five or ten minutes. Who knows! So... while it restores, come with me to go get a book,"

"It's the first day of school!"

"So? I heard the manga section in Freedom's library got bigger! _Two_ shelves this year, Eren! Two!" he whispered excitedly.

With a small sigh, Eren stood up from his seat and smiled brightly at him. "You never change, do you?"

"Nope!"

He allowed Armin to drag him through the lines of bookshelves as if he were a toy, soon watching as his friend excitedly squeaked and rummaged through the two shelves. His eyes sparked with minor interest as Armin pulled out a book bearing the title 'Deadman Wonderland.' When the manga was presented to him, he had no hesitation whatsoever in taking it and reading through (with very mild directions coming from Armin telling him to read from right to left).

By the time the page numbers hit the fifties, he heard a small gasp; "Hey, is your computer still on? I completely forgot about that! Your flashdrive, Eren!"

Eren's eyes widened as he reluctantly snapped the book shut and shoved it into Armin's hands. "God damn it ...!"

Knowing most of his classmates already, someone would think it'd be a good joke to take his flashdrive and replace his 'Attack on Titan' novel with a bullshit response to literature essay. It's happened to him before, but he was lucky that some of his classmates had the heart to help him. By now, the library was crowded and noisy, but it wasn't like the librarian cared. The first day of school always turned out like that. He weaved through the busy aisles and bookshelves, eventually finding the opening near the entrance of the library where the computers were set up. He could have sword his heart stopped when he saw a rather familiar person sitting in front of his computer, their gray eyes fluently speeding through each sentence of his novel.

He angrily gripped the student's shoulder and hissed, "What the actual fuck, Levi?"

This earned him a reproachful glare that made him sink back a bit. "Well, damn. You know my name. Eren Hunter, is it? You don't act like a hunter at all,"

"Hunter? Wait- no, that's not important!" the brunette spluttered. "What the hell -" _(His heartbeat increased with fear as he skimmed through a rather gory paragraph on the computer screen) _"- How much have you read?"

Levi glanced back at the screen and idly replied, "Enough,"

Eren started to panic; chances were pretty damn good that his 'crush' would stare at him with a disgusted look like every other person did after reading a paragraph from his novel. So much for hanging out with him during lunch (or something like that, if all went well). Out of sheer instinct, he pulled the flashdrive away without even closing the file or ejecting it properly, shoving it into his jeans and backing away.

"What's wrong, brat? You'll ruin it like that,"

"It... it doesn't matter..." his eyes drooped as he took another step back. "... you must think I'm some crazy sadist after reading that..."

The small pause only made him feel worse.

"... Hey kid," Levi snapped his fingers, gaining his attention. "I could give less of a damn if you turned out to be a fucking puppy kicker. Did you really write that?"

Eren nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing with confusion as Levi continued, "That's hard to believe. I've never read something so well written, especially from a Junior that looks like he's the average fuck-ass that can give less of a shit about his grade,"

"... Wait... you like what I wrote?"

"I guess you can say that," he folded one leg over the other and casually started to groom himself. "Listen, brat... that story you wrote? Attack on Titan? Answer me truthfully when I ask you this; how long did it take you to write it? Or are you even done yet?"

Eren scratched the nape of his neck and replied, "Well... I'm not exactly done with it... I have a lot I want to write in before it ends. I thought about writing it a couple of months back, and I actually started it around July. Wait- why are you asking me this...?"

Levi's eyebrow raised in interest. "I like you, brat. You're interesting -" _(he grinned at the brunette's vivid blush) _"- I have an offer for you. What would you say to having this story edited and published?"

Eren openly laughed and sarcastically said, "Yeah, why not!"

"I'm not fucking with you when I say that I'm willing to edit it for you and publish it with my own money,"

"Of _course _you're not,"

The raven sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with frustration. "I'm guessing no one's ever praised you for murdering fictional people that may resemble the people you have in your life. Ever heard of Humanity's Wings?"

"Humanity's -" Eren gasped brightly. "You're not- they're the best publishing company around! You're not saying your parents work for them, do you? They publish thousands of books for people all over the place... you're not saying...?"

Levi started to clean his nails. "Don't spread the word about me having a parent that owns the company, you little shit. It's a yes or no question,"

"I- I can't believe -"

"- So that's a no?"

"- No! No- I mean – Yes! Wait, what? No! No, it's not a no, it's a yes!"

"You're confusing me, Hunter,"

"I mean yes, I'd love to get it published! But wait... no, it can't be true..."

His heart stopped when he saw Levi reach a hand out to him. "I'll edit it for you, all right? I've been working alongside my mother for a long ass time. Deal or no deal?"

"I – ah, sure!" Eren excitedly shook his hand, earning an amused grin. This made him blush intensely, so he pulled away and muttered, "I can't believe it... holy shit..."

Levi's eye twitched with a very mild grimace at the thought of how dirty Eren's hand could be. Since Eren was looking away, he wiped his hand on his pants and sighed, "Where's your schedule?"

"R- Right here,"

Before Eren had the chance to hand his schedule over, the first bell of the school day rang shrilly throughout the library, adding to the overall noise. While Eren flinched at the sound, Levi unfolded his leg and reached for the messenger bag that was hanging low behind his seat. Students twittered brightly as they poured out of the library, along with Levi, who gave him one last look of mixed emotions before disappearing into the crowd. The brunette cursed to himself while he shut his computer down and swung his backpack over one shoulder.

Rummaging around his messy backpack for his ID, he saw a mischievous grin and the flash of blonde hair. Armin gave him a thumbs up and hurried off towards his first period class. He rolled his eyes; what a little shit.

**o0o0o0o**

Eren practically slammed his face into his desk when he found out that he was sharing his math class this year with Jean. That 'horse-faced bastard' (Eren was quite fond of calling him that) has always been his rival, but at least they got along sometimes. It'd be wise to highlight the word 'sometimes.' What was more was that Armin wasn't sharing his math class with him this year. Just how the hell was he going to get through this? He was grateful that this would be his last year taking another math class..._ if_ he manages to pass with a 'C' or better. The only thing that comforted him was that he shared his first period class with Mikasa, and she was almost as good as Armin when it came to math. There was just one problem... Annie was with them, also. The rivalry between those two is almost deadly.

After first period came and went with shitty introductions and groans at the mentions of homework, Eren felt himself lighten up a bit when he saw that his second period was PE. Too bad he also shared that class with Mikasa... it wasn't as if he didn't enjoy her company, he just wasn't too fond of her being overprotective of him (something about breaking bones or getting hit with the soccer ball, if he actually payed attention). While he made his way to the PE area, he said 'hello' to various students that he recognized from his previous years, but when he made it to the class, he could have sworn his heart stopped; there Levi was, talking to a girl with a rather bored expression. The girl he was conversing with had large honey-colored eyes with matching hair, and she was only a tad bit shorter than he was.

When Eren caught his eye, he bit his lip and debated between waving his hand or yelling a feeble 'hello.' He didn't really get the chance to do either; Levi called him over with the tilt of the head. When he got there, the girl Levi was talking to greeted him with a very tight hug.

"Ooh, you must be Eren!" she squealed.

"H- Hi there," Eren grunted in discomfort, returning the embrace with a weak hold while hers slightly tightened.

She let go of him and giggled, "Oops, sorry about that! My name's Petra! How are you?"

When she offered a hand, Eren gave her a 'high five' instead of actually shaking her hand. It was his way of greeting other people, and it looked as if she certainly didn't mind. Levi rolled his eyes at Petra's enthusiastic greeting.

"So, Eren," Petra stepped back to Levi's side and elbowed him, "Levi's been talking about you this whole morning. He just won't shut up!"

"Petra," he warned with a low voice.

She ignored this warning and continued, "I've seen you before, you know. I think you were in my English class during our Freshmen year... but that was just about it. And judging by the stories I've heard you read out loud in class, you've impressed Levi. A lot, actually!"

"Yeah..." Eren uneasily rocked on his heels with a flustered expression. "... Full honestly, I don't really remember you in any of my classes... but I'm glad to hear that I've impressed him...?"

Petra let out an amused squeak at Eren's uneasiness. He smiled at this and turned to Levi, who was staring off in the distance with an unreadable expression. "Levi... you have Shadis for PE this period, right?"

Levi's attention was briefly brought back to him with a curt nod. "I don't remember him that well, but if I do, he's one pain in the ass,"

"You've been to this school before now? I've never seen you around,"

Petra cut into their conversation; "Well, of course you haven't! Levi's been -"

"- _Petra_,"

This warning was much harsher than the last. She sunk back into her own shadow with a weak laugh. "Doesn't matter right now! The bell's about to ring. Let's get to class, yeah?"

She was right; as soon as she said that, the bell rang, signaling that they only had a minute to get to their class before the second bell rang. She left Levi and Eren alone to attend their PE class – she did have PE that period, but it wasn't with the same teacher. While Petra walked off with a rather haughty-looking student, he felt Levi pull on his sleeve.

"So, Hunter? We don't change into our PE clothes the first week or so, right?"

Eren nodded, and after a small pause, he asked, "Why are you calling me 'Hunter'?"

The raven raised an eyebrow at him. "Your last name is 'Jaeger', and 'Jaeger' means 'Hunter' in German. I'm calling you 'Hunter' whether you like it or not. I thought you knew what your last name meant already,"

"Really?" he had a very curious tone in his voice while he continued, "How do you know that?"

"I studied German for a good three to four years,"

"So you speak German and English fluently, or...?"

He could tell he asked the wrong question. Levi's eyes focused on his bracelets when he answered, "German, French, English -" _(He faced Eren with a mildly amused look) _"- and very,_ very_ horrible Spanglish,"

He started to wonder why Levi seemed a tad bit shady when it came to his language. It wasn't like it bothered him. Truth be told, knowing three languages and a very broken fraction of another was quite impressive. Eren decided to leave the raven there when it came to asking questions; it looked as if that last one was a bit too close for comfort. Every person there was given an assigned number along with a code to their lock, but Eren thought that it was quite pointless to go that far on the first day. They probably weren't going to change into their PE clothes for a good week or so. Eren ended up getting a number that was only two spaces away from Levi's, so they ended up in the same row. Just how lucky was he going to be this next year?

While everyone stood up as straight as possible (Shadis was quite strict when it came to correct posture) with their bags and binders at their feet, Shadis took role, writing down the order of which the students were lined in. Eren socialized with Reiner (a very tall blonde he met in his later years during Elementary), who was given the number right behind him. Shadis was a couple of rows away from them, so there was nothing to fear. The only thing that caught their attention was their teacher's angry yell.

"Eating in my class, Braus?!"

A loud gulp. "Yes, sir!"

"Just what the hell do you think you're eating?"

"I'm thinking it's a baked potato, sir,"

Several students snickered at this.

"Think you're very smart, huh? Go run the track, you disgusting animal! And don't stop until you can't run anymore! Am I clear?!"

"... You know, if you wanted me to share, you could have asked..."

Various students were biting their lips to hold in their laughter when she sped off towards the dirt track. This was Sasha; Eren met her a couple of years back, and as simple-minded as she may be, she was a great friend and offered a ton of helpful advice (but that, of course, depended on the subject). When the brunette caught Levi's eye, he could have sworn he saw an amused grin on his face. They faced the front correctly before Shadis could get the chance to scold anyone else for 'slacking off.' Eren made a mental note to introduce Levi to his friends later on during lunch... _if_ they had lunch together, that is.

**o0o0o0o**

Second and third period went by pretty fast, and next up came first lunch. There were two lunches, and it wasn't very often that Juniors or Seniors would end up in the first one. Eren was actually pretty grateful that he had first lunch rather than second – he would most likely complain if he didn't get a break before fourth period. To his greatest surprise, most of the people he hung out with shared first lunch with him, including another large handful or two of Juniors and Seniors alike. After Eren picked up his lunch from the cafeteria, he made his way to the table off to the side of the quad area, only to see that some people were already there eating their lunch... including Levi. Armin was talking [very] animatedly to Levi, who was nodding in interest.

"Hey, brat," Levi greeted once Eren took a seat next to him.

Before he could complain about being called a 'brat', Armin asked, "So this is the Levi you've been talking about? I have first period with him,"

"Awesome," Eren replied with a very faint tone of jealousy in his voice.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, accompanied with a monotonous voice, "Eren,"

Both Eren and Armin greeted Mikasa and went back to conversing. For some reason, Mikasa gave Levi a deadly glare as she took a seat next to Eren (and to make things more confusing, she was sitting much too close to him for comfort). Levi flashed her a skeptical look and continued his conversation with Armin (something about 'Shinhwa'... whatever the hell that may be). Most people had joined their table over the next five minutes or so; Reiner, Bertolt, Annie, Sasha, and Connie were all present, and, just like every year, Ymir and Krista were off in their own corner.

"Armin, you don't mind Levi editing with you, right?"

"Of course I don't!" the blonde said, shaking his hand as if brushing off the matter. "I'll just have to say one thing -" _(He leaned in closer to Levi and whispered) _"- His finished works may make him sound like a genius, but in reality, he's one of those kids who don't know the difference between 'your' and 'you're,'"

Eren rolled his eyes. "I heard that, you know!"

Armin giggled boyishly at his friend's flare while Levi hid a faint grin behind the back of his hand. Over the next few minutes, Eren introduced his new 'editor' to the rest of the group, who all welcomed him with open arms. Levi looked a bit uncomfortable (or confused, rather) when Connie and Sasha embraced him tightly and acted like their usual selves – weird and off the charts. Eren sighed with relief when he saw the raven smile at one of their jokes. It was very faint, but it was still there. Two other people sat across from Eren, whom he instantly recognized as Jean and Marco. He rolled his eyes at Jean.

"How are you, Horseface?"

"I'm fantastic, Shithead,"

Jean was one of those friends that you hate with a passion. Or at least that's how Eren liked to explain it. They didn't even call each other by their names anymore; they just threw in an insult when they greeted each other. However, even if they did get along sometimes, they still ended up getting into fights – both verbally and physically. It pissed Mikasa off whenever the brunette was sent to the nurse's office for having a nosebleed or black eye, and they considered themselves lucky for having a father that wasn't always home. Chances were pretty damn good that their father would open a can of whoop-ass on him for getting into fist fights (hopefully that was just an exaggeration).

"So how's your bullshit novel going, Jaeger?"

… Of course he'd manage to piss him off on the first day of school.

"That doesn't concern you," Eren sneered.

Jean rest his head on one folded hand and cockily added, "Think you'll get anywhere with that? I'd bet you anything I'd barely make enough money to buy a soda if I tried to sell that thing,"

Eren stood up from his seat and hissed, "Think you're better than everyone else, don't you?"

Mikasa watched through narrowed eyes as the taller male stood up from his seat as well. "Not everyone else, just you,"

"Don't fucking test me,"

"That's how life is. It's shit, isn't it?"

"I know life is shit, but it's probably ten times better in that thick head of yours,"

By now, passersby were watching with curious eyes and whispering their bets on who would win. Seeing Eren and Jean fight over something wasn't rare. Marco was tugging on his friend's sleeve and telling him to sit down while Mikasa was keeping a close eye on the two. If they were to get in a fight, she'd be able to intervene before any serious damage was done.

After another frustrated moment, Eren chuckled coldly, "I didn't come here to listen to your shit. Why don't you go back to romancing your shitty ego with the thought that you'll actually be successful? You said you wanted to join the police force, right? Like hell you'd do anything but shoot someone's foot trying to handle your own gun,"

In the blink of the eye, Jean switched to the other side of the table and raised a fist to punch the brunette, but he was interrupted; Sasha and Connie stopped him halfway with some sort of 'defense mode.' Sasha stood on one foot and raised her fists above her head while Connie crouched below her and hissed at Jean with a fork in his mouth. Reiner snorted into his drink while the rest of the group buried their faces into their hands with embarrassment. Passersby also snickered at the duo, but after a couple of hesitant moments, Eren pushed them aside. They shook with laughter as they sank into the background.

"You want to go, horseshit?"

"I'll kick your sorry ass,"

Eren swung his fist at Jean in one swift movement, but his punch was interrupted by someone else. He expected it to be Sasha or Connie again, but instead... it was Levi. The raven stopped his punch right before it reached Jean's jaw. Even Jean was surprised by this. How embarrassing. Levi slapped his fist away and stood between the two.

The taller male raised an eyebrow and taunted, "Who's this, your boyfriend?"

Levi's eye twitched in annoyance. He said with a dangerously low voice, "You think you're all high and mighty, but at the end of the day, you're just a stupid brat. I'll fuck you up if you confront Eren again. Do you understand me, donkey shit?"

It relieved Eren greatly that Levi was actually defending him. It should have been embarrassing... but people around them found it more interesting. Jean rolled his eyes; he didn't think Levi was all that much, considering how short he was in comparison.

"And what can you do, shorty?"

Before Jean even had the chance to blink, Levi took the collar of his shirt in his fists with a surprising amount of strength and forcefully pulled him down. At this point, their eyes were finally at level, with the taller male gripping Levi's wrists and gasping for air. Mikasa watched through astonished eyes as this all happened; no one's ever done that for her brother before. She wasn't sure if she should be grateful or jealous.

His hold tightened around Jean's collar as he threatened, "Do you think this is a game, kid?"

"... No, now let go of me," Jean reluctantly spat.

As soon as he said that, Levi let go of his menacing hold, allowing Jean to sink back to his seat with a highly embarrassed look on his face. The students that were surrounding them broke out into curious whispers about Levi, some of them calling him 'that new kid' and the girls quietly squealing whenever they managed to catch his eye. Levi returned to his seat with a vivid scowl on his face (mainly because of the nosy students ), dragging Eren along with him.

"You little shit," the raven hissed into Eren's ear.

"What? He started it!"

"That's not the point,"

Marco sighed and rest his head on Jean's shoulder, muttering something about 'worry' and 'heart attacks' in the process. Sasha and Connie went back to bickering over useless things while Annie, Bertolt, and Reiner all continued their conversation. The students around them lost interest and eventually left, and instead of scolding the brunette for what he did, Levi impatiently tapped his finger on the table. While he did that, Eren curiously poked at one of his bracelets, earning a reproachful glare.

This look scared him, so he retracted his hand as if he had been burned and spluttered on instinct, "Y- You're a fan of Suicide S- Silence? I love that band... I was just curious about the other bands you listen to,"

That was a lie. Levi rolled his eyes at him and lifted his forearm, showing him all of the bracelets that were wrapped around the pale skin. Now that Eren looked closer at it, they nearly covered his entire forearm, the last ones resting a few centimeters below the elbow. They read various bands that Eren has never heard before; Pierce the Veil, Sleeping with Sirens, Slipknot... the list kept going on. For a split second, he caught Armin's eye, and he earned an approving smile. This was going well.

"It sucks ass that Mitch had to die," he said as he thumbed the 'Suicide Silence' bracelet. "How old was he again?"

"Ah- Mitch was -" Eren shot his friend a pleading look (Levi didn't notice this since he was still picking at his wristband), who kept mouthing the number twenty-eight, "- I don't know... in his forties?"

Armin smacked his forehead and hissed out, "God damn it, Eren,"

Levi looked the brunette in the eye and gave him a mind-blowing grin. "You're not really a metal fan, are you, Hunter?"

"No..." he sighed, turning away to hide the blush on his face.

Levi let out an amused 'hmph' and removed one of the bracelets on his wrist, hastily moving the rest of the bracelets down to hide his revealed skin. Eren questioned this action, but before he could ask, Levi offered him the bracelet, which he immediately accepted. It was pure black and lined with thin strips of red, forming a small circle in the middle that had three jagged lines painted into it. Across the bracelet, the name 'Three Days Grace' was written in a large font. He's heard of this band before; if he could recall correctly, he heard Armin complaining about the lead singer a couple of times. He didn't always pay attention... but he wish he had at this particular moment.

"Listen to them," the raven said, watching as he slipped the bracelet onto his wrist. "I'd recommend the song 'Let You Down' first. You don't have to if you don't want to, but Three Days Grace introduced me to the world of rock and metal,"

Eren didn't know how to respond to that. He merely nodded and ignored the devious smirk on Armin's lips. Mikasa reached out a hand to grip Eren's shoulder, but before she had the chance to say or do anything, the bell rang. Everyone from the table stood up and threw their lunch trays into the trash bin, and if Eren payed close attention, everyone there (Reiner, Bertolt, Levi, and so on) were headed the same direction. To his greatest surprise, everyone walked to the same classroom for their forth period. Interesting.

Armin set down his binder next to Bertolt (he was reading his book on the ground) and threw himeself at Eren, squealing, "Again this year, Eren!"

This happened the last two years. All of them were very close friends, and for some reason, they all ended up in the same class for a certain period. Eighth grade had been PE, Freshman year was Math, and last year was History. This year was English, apparently. Eren caught the blonde in his arms in a tight embrace, laughing freely at how openly he squealed. Everyone was used to this already – Armin was just an enthusiastic person like that. All but Levi, who questioningly raised an eyebrow at this.

"Are they together?" Levi asked with a mutter.

He felt a strong hand playfully slap him on the back. He looked up and saw that it was Reiner.

"As if! They've known each other for years,"

"We all have," added Annie, who was sitting down next to Bertolt. "But Eren and Armin knew each other long before we all even met,"

After a few minutes, they were let into their classroom with the rest of the students, some completely new to them and others they were familiar with. While they took their seats at the desks they picked (their teacher didn't tell them otherwise), Armin dropped his bag in the seat next to Eren and pulled out a pair of glasses from his pocket. Mikasa reluctantly made idle conversation with Annie while helping the teacher sort a couple of handouts, and after a couple of minutes, he noticed that Levi sat in a desk somewhere off to the corner.

Armin saw this, too, and he called out, "Hey Levi, why don't you sit next to us? There's an open space right here!"

"You bastard," the brunette hissed.

While Armin nodded in victory, Levi took the seat next to Eren, grinning at the flustered blush on his face. "What's wrong, brat? Am I bothering you?"

"N- No, that's not it!"

"Hmph,"

The students were evenly spread out across the classroom, some of them in groups and others quietly listening to music with their ear buds on their own. Annie and Mikasa passed out a packet that explained the types of projects and homework assignments they'll have, expectations, and so on. To the class' greatest amusement, the two girls were actually _competing_. As they did that, the teacher stood up in the front of the classroom with an almost perfect posture. The students inwardly groaned at this; chances were pretty good this teacher was strict, by the way she was presenting herself. The teacher was quite short (most of the students were taller than her, including Levi) and wore glasses, her silver hair just about shoulder-length.

She introduced herself; "My name is Rico Brzenska. I don't care if you call me Rico, Brzenska, or Ms. Brzenska, I'll respond to either one of them. My job here is to teach you kids, not to fuss about my name like most teachers do. We are expected to go through most of the handbook by the end of this school year, so if you don't get the lesson, I'm moving on without you. My advice would be to either pay attention and take notes or show up after school. I don't care if you listen to music during my lesson, I just don't want to hear it. Don't make me take that one privilege away from you,"

Most of the students were surprised. Usually, by now, they would have been scolded for having their earphones out, and they also expected a much more serious greeting from such a strict-looking woman. Rico sat down at her own desk and started taking the attendance. She didn't even bother repeating the same name twice, resulting in a careless student or two to be marked absent. While she did that, they all went back to conversing to one another, excluding Armin and Bertolt, who had migrated to another desk to read a certain book together. This was quite odd, especially for Reiner, but he brushed it off and tried to spark conversation with Krista. As always, Ymir payed close attention to their conversation and threw dangerous glares whenever Reiner added a compliment out of the blue.

Eren rolled his eyes when he saw Jean, who was idly listening to Marco talk about tigers and lions. Levi snapped his fingers to gain his attention, offering one of his earphones.

"Do you want to listen to some music, or is my taste too bitter for you?"

The brunette took the earphone and placed it in his right ear, his eardrum almost instantly throbbing with the sudden loud noise. He instinctively raised a hand to pull it away, but he passed it on as scratching his nose; he couldn't disrespect Levi like that. Then again, just how the hell did he handle such loud music? Levi merely sat there with one leg folded over the other, scrolling through a list of songs and picking a specific one. The loud music instantly switched into something a bit softer. It started out slow and branched off into a smooth melody - gentle voices raising and lowering, bells ringing in the distance in time with those voices and soon lowering back to a constant beat of bells and what could have been drums.

"Better than the last one, right?"

"... Yeah..."

Eren was completely swept with the music. How beautiful it was. He's never heard another song like it before. He scanned Levi's phone and saw the title 'Jellyfish Song.' Interesting. Levi removed the bud from his ear with a look of mixed emotions (what emotions he showed in that look was unknown to him at the time).

The raven leaned back in his seat and asked, "Do you have a phone?"

"Mhm,"

"Give me your number,"

The sudden demand made him choke on his own spit. He spluttered, "W- What do you mean...?"

Levi looked back to the front of the room with a smirk. "If I'm going to be editing your story, I'll need your number. You could send it to me by email or you can drag my ass out of the house to go pick it up, I don't care,"

"Why are you only asking me? Wouldn't you need Armin's number since you're working with him, too?"

He could have sworn he saw a faint blush form on Levi's cheeks. "I'll do that later. Here, type in your number,"

Levi handed the brunette his phone while he carefully readjusted his wristbands. This gave Eren the chance to actually look at his phone; he curiously ran his thumb along the smooth surface of the phone case. The case was entirely black except for the outlines of a heart with wings colored in dark gray. As he progressed down, a clear imagine of that same heart came into view, except the veins on it were more defined and its wings were stretched out with pride. There was a halo near the bottom of the heart, and under that was a banner that had 'C-H-N-O' written across in an old English font. It sparked some sort of interest in him (he's seen that symbol somewhere before), but instead of asking like he usually would, he did as he was told and dialed his phone number. He didn't call his phone, he just left the number there and handed it back to the raven.

While Levi saved the number to his phone, he said, "I'll text you sometime after school. I'll find out Armin's number sooner or later,"

"All right,"

**o0o0o0o**

Later on that day, Eren impatiently waited for Levi to text him. He readjusted himself on his bed several times and even checked his phone for any new texts every couple of minutes. Some part of him thought that Levi wasn't actually going to text him. After another slow hour passed by, he growled with frustration and turned on his computer screen. He spent a decent amount of time scrolling through his music folder trying to find inspiration for his novel before he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. The sudden feeling of his heart clenching with excitement made him fumble with his phone and drop it in his lap. Thank God he was alone – just how embarrassing would it have been if someone was there with him? He opened the text message and saw that it was from an unfamiliar number.

_'Evening, Hunter.'_

How could Levi be so formal in a text? He replied with: _'hey'_

It wasn't long before he received another text. _'Armin gave me his number on our way to 5__th__ per. He's really... enthusiastic...'_

_ '- yeah, hes like that. Are u talking to him now?'_

_ 'He's* You* Spell correctly, you brat. And no, we're not talking at the moment.'_

Eren rolled his eyes at this text. _'- all right, fine, YOU grammar Nazi. Happy?'_

_ 'Just fucking dandy.'_

He didn't receive another text for a couple of minutes. He started to panic; did he manage to piss off Levi already? Damn. Just as he started to type in an apology, his phone vibrated once more and instantly opened the new text. It was very long, compared to the other ones.

_'Armin told me that you already have a couple of chapters done with your story. Before I start editing with him, I wanted to read what you have so far. You can send it to me by email, but if you're too lazy, you can show it to me tomorrow morning. Just don't brag to the students saying that you've managed to get your story published by Humanity's Wings. I don't want people knowing about that. Don't ask why. By the way, Armin wanted to know if some guy named Bertolt could read your novel as well. Apparently, they're fuck buddies. I mean, reading buddies. You should be happy that you have a friend that advertises your story to other close friends.'_

_ '- nice novel u sent me. If there reading buddies, then I guess its ok. I've known him for a long time, but I'm wondering why Armin didnt tell me earlier'_

Another five minutes went by.

_'I have a feeling the editing process is gonna take a long ass time.'_

How rude. Eren still smiled at that last text, even if it was meant to be an insult. It'll be fun, purposely sending errors just to piss him off. He already did that to Armin, though... and this was Levi. It was so much easier to text him than it was talking to him. He saw on his computer that it was already six o'clock, meaning that he'd have to leave for dinner soon. A soft yawn left his lips; now that he thought of it, he was pretty tired. Just as he heard Mikasa call for him, he received another text.

_'If you need anything, you can call or text me. I'm going to go eat dinner right now. TTYL. Is that what you brats use nowadays? BRB? DTF? I don't know, pick one that makes sense.'_

That last text made him laugh harder than it should have.


	3. Filthy

**Note: **Things will start speeding up a little bit (both the plot and Eren/Levi's relationship)... not that it bothers you, right? Also, from this point on, see if you can find a pattern in my chapters (concerning the murders)... brownie points to whoever guesses it right.

_Those last reviews made me squeal, by the way._

**Disclaimer:** The video games, YouTube channels, companies, and restaurants in this chapter do not belong to me.

* * *

_**Chapter Three: Filthy**_

The next week went by pretty fast. The classes took their time with introductions, getting used to the classrooms, and starting off with very basic lessons to get the year going. It was nothing to worry about. As slow as things seemed to be, life breezed by like nothing, and in the blink of the eye, classes got much harder. Unlike Freshman and Sophomore year, their classes took off on a rocky start; most of the students didn't remember the required formulas needed or have the vocabulary memorized, therefore needing time to review. This pissed Eren off completely, in every class except math (he was grateful he got the review). Armin wasn't in his math class this year, which means that he may actually have to work for his A this time. Usually he'd just copy off of his friend's paper, ignoring comments such as 'he'll know you copied me' or 'you won't be successful in life'.

It was also quite odd to see that Levi wasn't having any issues whatsoever. They had the same classes, they just attended those classes in different periods. They were only left with two classes together – PE and Language Arts (lunch together applies as well). They started to talk a little more often and had actual conversations instead of idle comments every here and there about his novel or classwork. During their second week, Levi spent his mornings, lunch periods, and Language Arts classes idly doing his work while he read Eren's novel on his phone (or on paper). Hanji or Armin would occasionally visit for a few minutes to greet them, but after awhile, they stopped showing up. Eren started to wonder why, but he instantly understood when he saw the two talking [very] animatedly about oceans and lava.

By the fourth week of school, classes were evening out and Levi was starting to get a little more open in his conversations. Instead of spending all of their time together focusing on writing techniques, ideas, and sinking in the foreshadowing without making things too obvious, they actually talked about their interests and everyday lives. Levi would occasionally rant about the idiots he deals with in his math class, and Eren was glad they didn't have their math class together. By the way Levi talked about students' ignorance when it came towards math, they wouldn't get along in the slightest. But he probably already knew how much Eren sucked at math by the massive amount of scribbles and crossed out numbers on his homework.

At this point, Eren was staring to get a little more confident. It was _very_ obvious that he was crushing on Levi, but the raven knew nothing of it. Or at least Levi's acting like he doesn't know. Maybe he's ignoring the amount of times Armin has squealed behind his book when they would exchange notes during class.

The morning was very dull; the sky was blotched with gray and black, the puffy clouds were tainted an ashen color, and raindrops the size of bullets were splashing against the windows. The library was filled with shivering students that morning, including Eren and Levi, who were sitting in their own little corner that was hidden behind the bookshelves. There was a closed window next to them that showed the smudged image of the campus. While Levi scrolled through his phone and fiddled with his earphones, Eren watched as the raindrops hit the window and steadily slithered their way to the bottom. He absentmindedly poked at the raindrops with his finger as they fell, his green eyes darting to each one to see who would win the race.

When he flicked at the window and yawned, he heard Levi mutter drowsily, "Hunter, what the fuck are you on?"

"... They're racing,"

Eren's body trembled with a violent shiver as he tightened his jacket around himself. He didn't have enough time in the morning to pick out a thicker jacket, so he was left with a thin one he found off to the corner of his room. At least hiding under his backpack helped him. He readjusted his backpack on his lap and basked in the warmth it provided him, completely unaware of the gray eyes that were watching him intensely. Levi removed his phone and ear buds from his pockets and unzipped his thick jacket. He moved his seat much closer to Eren's and draped the discarded clothing around his shoulders. Eren gave him a skeptical look before he gladly accepted the warmth. It was fluffy on the inside and covered in smooth cotton on the outside that was dyed a dark shade of green. Not a single logo or pattern was visible on it.

Snuggling into the jacket, the brunette asked, "Are you sure you're not cold without this?"

"It's kind of cold, but it's nothing I can't handle," Levi readjusted in his seat to fold one leg over the other. He reached out an arm over Eren's shoulders and offered his phone. "You're bored, aren't you? I know you waste your life away on video games or whatever. Have you heard of the Game Theorists?"

Eren's face flushed as the raven pulled him closer. He hesitantly rest his head on Levi's shoulder and replied, "E- Enlighten me,"

The corner of Levi's mouth twitched into an amused grin when Eren rest his head on his shoulder. They watched a video about Legend of Zelda's official time line being wrong, and after five minutes of explanations being thrown at them, Eren's phone vibrated in his pocket. He slipped it out and absentmindedly tapped on the text message he received, and when he tried to sit up correctly to read it, he heard a soft snort. His eyes widened significantly when he saw that Levi actually fell asleep. It would have looked peaceful if he didn't have that 'concerned' furrow in his eyebrows. He cautiously removed Levi's arm from his shoulders (though he was quite reluctant to do so) and read the text. It surprised him to see that Armin sent it to him. That usually didn't happen during school.

_'Eren omf help me I'm dying'_

He rolled his eyes at this text.

_'- are u bleeding to death?'_

_ 'No, seriously. You remember Bertolt, right? When you let me send him your novel, he said he couldn't keep his eyes off it. Eren, this is great! He's really delicate, and don't try denying it. If he actually likes your story, then maybe others will too!'_

_ '- I'm not uploading it online until u actually start bleeding out. Txt me then, k?'_

_ 'I hate you. A lot.'_

Armin spent the previous weeks trying to convince Eren to upload his novel online for people to read. The main reason why he didn't want to do it was because of the fear that people would only shun his work and call him a psychopath like others have in the past. He stared at the text ('_I hate you. A lot.'_) with a grin, and he turned back to Levi to see that he was still asleep. The furrow in his eyebrows was still there, too. Eren tucked his phone away and curiously prodded the furrow in the raven's eyebrows with his index and middle finger. The furrow still didn't go away, but instead, it deepened. Levi opened his eyes and blinked for a moment before narrowing them dangerously. Eren could have sworn the atmosphere tuned into a much colder pitch.

He retracted his hand as quickly as possible and stammered, "I- I was just curious,"

Levi rolled his eyes and stretched, sighing with relief at the popping in his back. A shiver ran down his spine right afterward, making him groan, "I never realized how cold it was until now,"

Eren decided to test his bravery and hooked an arm around Levi's. He snuggled against his side and tried his hardest to say the next sentence without his voice cracking with embarrassment; "If it's as cold as you say it is, then you wouldn't mind,"

"You're such a brat,"

"Deal with me,"

This made Levi huff in a silenced laugh. He ran his fingers through Eren's hair in an attempt to tame it, but as soon as it flattened against his head, it messily sprung back into place. With a small growl, he tried to groom his friend's hair, but it was as stubborn as ever.

Eren shook his head and whined, "What's with you and my hair?"

"It's messy as fuck," Levi protested with a quiet sigh.

"It's always like that,"

"Your hair was made by Satan,"

The brunette pulled away from his side to cheekily stick his tongue out at him, but that only earned him another growl and a smack to the forehead with a phone. He shrunk back into his own seat and muttered incoherent insults and protests under his breath, giving Levi a playful scowl. Levi gave him a mind blowing half-smile with the tilt of the head and raised a middle finger at him, only to laugh at the highly offended look his friend tried to pull off. When Eren opened his mouth to insult him back, the bell rang shrilly above them. They both groaned in unison.

"It's so warm here, too," the raven sighed, standing up from his seat and pulling the strap to his messenger bag over his neck and shoulder. "You can keep that jacket, by the way. I have a shit ton at home,"

"R- Really? Er... thanks..."

"You don't have to thank me, kid,"

**o0o0o0o**

It was lunchtime and the weather still wasn't any better. The cafeteria was filled to the brim with students, and the library was empty as usual. No one liked going to the library during lunch, mainly because the librarian and her assistant never let anyone get away with talking in a voice beyond a whisper. Eren decided to skip his lunch because he started to notice that Levi didn't go to the cafeteria _at all_. He maybe set foot in their three or four times to help clean up after school, but that was just about it. He started to question why the raven didn't eat lunch at school; was it because the food tasted like shit or did he not have free lunch like everyone else? For some reason, Levi always averted the question, or simply ignored it.

They sat in their own corner, with Eren curled up against the window while Levi rummaged through his pencil pouch for a pen with red ink. He insisted on re-reading the brunette's story from the beginning since he found very minor grammar mistakes in certain paragraphs. Eren pulled out a small stack of papers (a good twenty, if he counted correctly that morning) that contained chapter four and five of his story. Since his writing was very messy, he decided to print out the chapters rather than bringing the rough drafts he wrote by hand. He was still wearing the green jacket Levi gave to him that morning, and the only part of his body that was cold was his feet and his face. His lips were chapped from the frigid weather outside, and he silently praised Shadis for having PE in the gym. That rarely ever happened.

While Levi read through the two chapters with an impressed raise of the eyebrow every here and there, Eren folded his legs up to his chest and rest his head on his knees. He wrapped his arms around his legs for minor support, his green eyes staring hopefully as Levi flipped to the seventh or eigth page (he was starting to lose count). Halfway into the stack of papers, the raven noticed that Eren was watching him, and he merely stared at him with the usual 'concerned' furrow in his eyebrow.

There was an awkward silence between the two before Levi stated, "I'm starting to wonder why you killed Thomas first,"

"W- What's wrong with that?! It contributes to the overall story!" Eren fumed, "Well, who was I supposed to kill first? He's a jackass when he wants to be, anyways!"

"I know he can be a dick, but he's all right," he looked back at the paper and added, "by the way, I think you spelled his last name wrong,"

While he scribbled on the paper, Eren openly groaned and buried his face back into his knees. As if it were on cue, he heard the dull thud of a binder hitting the desk and Thomas' cheerful greeting; "Morning, Eren! Levi!"

"Hey," they replied in unison.

Eren saw that Thomas wasn't alone. Behind him was Mina, who wore her black hair in two pigtails that were lazily draped over her shoulders and down her chest with a smile on her face.

"Eren, it's been way too long since we've talked!"

"Right,"

Thomas took a seat next to the brunette and rest his forearm on his shoulder. "Why don't we hang out after school on Friday? We can stop by Starbucks, for old time's sake!"

"Yeah!" Mina chirped, "We already invited everyone else. Most of them are coming, but I don't think Mikasa will. She says she might have to show up after school to put up posters or something,"

Eren could have sworn he saw Levi's eyes narrow.

"Do you have a ride?" Mina asked hopefully.

"Uh -" _(He looked over to Levi, who mouthed the word 'yes') _"- Y- Yeah, I think I have one. Is Levi able to come, too?"

"Yeah, sure! He's cool," the blonde said, giving Levi a small grin. "Met this guy last week. He's a genius,"

Levi went back to reading the papers and muttered, "That's a load of bullshit,"

"Don't be so modest!" Thomas nudged Eren and continued, "I might be working with my dad in the auto shop this Friday. Think you could stop by before we go? We're all just going to meet up at the Starbucks around this corner -" _(He pointed off to his right, and both Eren and Levi understood where he was gesturing to) _"- Is that all right?"

"Yeah, we'll see you there!"

When Thomas and Mina left, Eren sunk back into his seat and buried himself into the sweater again. Levi rolled his eyes at this and said, "You seem excited. Do you know those guys?"

"Since middle school," he replied promptly.

Levi nodded while he crossed out a sentence and added something in the margin. Eren wrote down his address on a post-it and gave it to Levi, who stared at the scribble and muttered something about knowing where his neighborhood may be. While it didn't seem to bother the raven, it embarrassed Eren completely; it almost felt like a date. Hell, he doesn't even have a clue where Levi might live. He had the idea that his friend knew how to drive, and he did, but he didn't expect Levi to actually agree to driving him to a meet up with old friends. It's good that they welcomed Levi with open arms. He just had a really bad feeling somewhere in his gut that Mikasa would like to argue on the topic and insist on driving him there instead. That's just how she is. But this was an opportunity to get closer to Levi and show him a great time. He wouldn't pass that up for anything.

**o0o0o0o**

_(Friday)_

_ (Afternoon; Three twenty-five)_

"Holy shit,"

That's all Eren could actually say at the moment. He rummaged around his drawers for a decent shirt to wear; nothing too flashy, too formal, or too dull. He settled with the usual long-sleeve shirt with a loosely tied lace that kept the two halves of the cloth at his chest area in place. While he pulled out a dark pair of jeans to wear, he stared at the mess he made on the floor and moaned in embarrassment. Now that he thought of it, he was acting like a thirteen-year-old girl going on her first date with some asshole she met. It's so confusing. He gave the clock a highly stressed glare and read 'three twenty-eight'. He asked Levi to pick him up at three-thirty, but he wasn't even ready yet. So much for taking a very 'quick' nap after school.

As soon as the clock struck three-thirty, the doorbell rang. He muttered profanities as he tripped over his backpack. He didn't even bother sitting up correctly as he pulled on his shoes, and after a few hastened moments, he hurried out of his room to greet Levi. As soon as he stepped out of the hallway and into the living room, he saw that the front door was already open, with Levi standing just over the threshold and glaring at Mikasa with a dangerous look in his eyes. Mikasa had her fists clenched to her side as she took a threatening step toward him, but she instantly stopped in her actions when Levi's eye flicked towards Eren's direction. His look softened, and so did Mikasa's posture.

"Er... you two all right?"

Both of the ravens looked back at him with relieved looks on their faces. He neared them, only to be bombarded with questions by Mikasa.

"Starbucks again, right? Do you need me to pick you up? Who else is going? Are you going to walk there?"

Eren whisked away the concerned hands that made their way into his hair to groom. "I'm fine, Mikasa. I'll see you later,"

He sidestepped her and greeted Levi with a bright smile, who nodded and moved aside to let him out the front door first. Eren readjusted the back of his shoe (it was folded inwards), but by doing this, he didn't notice the dangerous look Mikasa sent Levi before he turned his back towards her with a scowl. That was odd. The brunette made a mental note to question him about it later, but for now, they were going to the mechanic to visit Thomas and maybe offer him a ride, depending on what Levi was comfortable with.

Levi's car took him by full surprise. The raven had a black Honda Civic that glistened under the sunlight. The curves were untainted by scratches or marks, and hardly a spec of dirt befouled the car. He was basically gawking at Levi's car, and some part of him wondered how he managed to afford something like that.

Levi opened the door to the passenger's seat and said, "Hey, brat, we don't have all day. We're going to the mechanic along Maria Avenue, right?"

"... Yeah,"

While they drove through the streets towards the auto shop, Eren stared out the window and insisted that they played a game on their way there. As reluctant as Levi was, he accepted, and the game was to find as many yellow cars as they could. Every yellow car was worth one point, and so far, they were tied.

After a long moment of silence between the two, Levi asked, "Why are we even going there? Doesn't Thomas have permit or something?"

"I think he does. I don't know if he wanted a ride or not... he just told me to go visit him there before we met up at Starbucks,"

He let out a small 'hmph'. "Damned kids... mechanics are fucking filthy. I wonder why the hell I agreed to this,"

Eren leaned towards him and answered cheekily, "You agreed because I'm the best friend in the world and you care about me,"

As soon as they stopped at a red light, the raven turned to him and gave him an amused look. "Are you trying to kiss ass?"

"Why would I?"

"You're making yourself look like a complete dumbass,"

"A complete dumbass that's the best friend in the world, _right_?"

"A complete dumbass that's the worst idiot in the world," Levi corrected, earning a small whine and a pout.

**o0o0o0o**

It was true when Levi said that mechanics were filthy. Levi parked his car somewhere outside the mechanic, in fear that it would get dirty, which only made Eren snicker. He was correct when he assumed that Levi was a clean freak on the first day they met. They walked into the mechanic to look for Thomas, and while they searched, he saw the raven give each of the shabby looking cars a skeptical look. Various workers there that recognized Eren waved hello with rusted tools in their hands and grease covering their uniforms. Soon enough, they found Thomas, who was lying on his back on the floor that was dirtied with oil and dust – Eren saw Levi shudder in the corner of his eye.

Thomas was lying under a white van that was held up by a rusty chain connected to the ceiling, the _tink_ of metal on metal adding to the overall noise in the area. Each time the car swayed an inch to the left or right, the chain above him would squeak in agony. After a couple of moments, he caught Eren's eye and greeted him with a smile.

He removed his hands from his work and waved at the two with a wrench in his hand. "Hey, guys!"

"Hey,"

When they neared him, he gave them an apologetic look and went back to his work. "Sorry about this – my dad's kinda busy with the other cars at the moment, so he set me to work. I'll be done in no time, though, I promise! You can talk to Nac if you want,"

He gestured over to the table that was covered with auto parts and tools, and sure enough, Nac was sitting at the table and staring at one of the parts with a highly interested look on his face. His black hair was styled back in a somewhat spiky style, held in place with what Eren assumed to be hair gel. His eyebrows were somewhat furrowed as he gave a certain auto part a questioning look, his brown eyes sparking brightly. The only thing that caught his attention was Eren calling out to him.

"Nac, are you going with us?" the brunette asked.

"Huh? Well, yeah, I guess I am," Nac replied promptly.

After successfully managing to haul Nac out of his seat and away from the auto parts, he returned to Levi and introduced him. Eren smiled when they shook hands, the interest in Nac's eyes now turned to Levi (since they just met). For some reason, a perturbed shiver ran down Nac's spine, making him act a bit jumpy when Eren patted a hand on his back. While they conversed with Thomas, the brunette retreated back to the table, but instead of sitting down, he wandered off behind the van that Thomas was working on. He gave the chain and van a weary look and stared at the license plate, grinning when he saw that the plate had 'ABC' written on it. The room behind him was dark and eerie, the door wide open but the room itself still left in pure darkness.

Thomas scooted back a bit from under the car so he could prop himself up on his elbows without hitting hit forehead against the underside of the car. He tilted his head back and looked at both Eren and Levi, who seemed to be arguing over something. It was about Eren's hair being too messy, if he heard correctly. When he laid back down on the ground to continue his work, there was a sudden thud and a terrified gasp. Thomas' eyes widened when the van swayed dangerously above him, and he saw Nac stumble out from behind it.

"Thomas... I d-don't know what... he just... I'm so sorry!" he cried.

"What're you - ?!"

The weak chain above him squeaked loudly before a large crack spread across the rusted surface of it. It split into numerous pierces, allowing the van to fall back to the ground. The thundering noise of the car hitting the ground caused all of the other mechanics to stop what they were doing and rush to the scene, only to back away slowly with horror. Eren's eyes widened significantly as he stared down at Thomas' shivering figure. The heavy van must of weighed about two tons, and all of that weight had poured onto the blonde's abdomen, along with everything else under that.

He opened his mouth to speak, "...H... H- He...lp..."

He wretched and coughed up a mouthful of blood before he had the chance to finish his sentence. It splattered on the floor at Eren's feet, only making the brunette shakily gasp with fear. Tears built up in the corners of Thomas' eyes as he continued to cough up blood, the pain in his abdomen being so overwhelming, to the point where he felt as if his internal organs were being crushed together. His bones all cracked and shattered, seeping together with the blood, his internal figure being entirely compressed. He let out a strangled mewl of pain before his body went limp, warm blood still trickling out of the corners of his mouth. He was surrounded by a pool of blood, his usually sparkling white teeth now lined with orange and scarlet.

Nac let out a shaky curse and ran out of the garage in sheer panic, only to trip over his own two feet and hit the ground with a loud thud. His forehead roughly hit the ground with a deafening crack, making stars burst over his eyes. There was sudden screeching sound of a car right next to him... and that was the last thing he ever heard. Eren watched as a car sped by and crushed Nac's body, a painful yell issuing from within the depths of the engines before coming to an abrupt stop. Crimson blood splattered around the area and organs were spilled. The other workers around them all watched in horror before they started to yell to each other to call for the police. Eren gagged loudly before doubling over, only to be caught by Levi's strong arms.

Levi clapped a hand over the brunette's eyes to hide the scene from him, the other arm holding him around the waist to keep him up. He muttered into his ear, "Eren, please, stand up correctly,"

Eren did as he was told after a couple of hesitant moments, only to feel Levi's other hand gently cover his nose. The rancid stench of copper was almost overwhelming and made him want to gag, but Levi kept that out and muttered to him again with a soft voice.

"Breathe, okay? Just breath. In and out. I want you to breath through your mouth – slowly – there you go,"

Before the police even arrived at the scene, Levi lead the terrified brunette out of the area, away from the sound of cars squeaking and the smell of oil, sweat, and the thick, bitter scent of Thomas and Nac. Eren's eyes were still wide open, even Levi's hand was cupped over them, the entire scene being replayed in his head. Just what the hell happened back there? When he was finally in the safety of Levi's car, he curled up in his seat, flinching at the sound of the driver's door being slammed shut.

The raven leaned over to Eren and gripped his shoulder. "Eren, are you all right? Say anything – _anything_, just talk to me,"

After a long moment, he answered shakily, "... What... t- the actual fuck... was _that?_"

Levi turned Eren's face towards him and gently cupped it in his hands. "You need some time to calm down. I know that was sudden. You're going to be all right – don't think about it,"

"Wait... why -"

"- _don't _think about it,"

The car ride back home was very quiet. They didn't even bother meeting up with everyone else – and to make sure than the weren't disturbed, Levi took both of their phones, turned them off, and shoved them into his jacket. Eren's shoulders shook every time he shuddered, and on the way home, he pressed himself against the car door and curled up into a tight ball. Whenever they stopped at a red light, Levi would momentarily watch him to see if he was alright.

By the time they returned to the brunette's home, a portion of him recovered while the other pondered over the bloody scene. It all happened way too fast for his comfort. But more importantly, why wasn't Levi affected in the slightest? When they let themselves in, Eren saw a post-it on the coffee maker that had Mikasa's neat handwriting. She said that there were leftovers in the fridge if he wanted any, and that she'd be working late at school tonight. Typical. Levi sat him down on the couch and disappeared off into the house as if he lived there, and a couple of minutes later, he returned with Eren's blanket. The brunette nuzzled into the soft folds of his blanket and swathed himself into a small cocoon while Levi took the liberty to roam the kitchen.

He didn't have the strength to speak at the moment, so he merely laid on the couch in a heap of soft fabric. He didn't know how long it was until the smell of coffee was in the air, accompanied by a small cluck of the tongue and footsteps. He felt something poke his cocoon.

Once he stuck his head out of the blanket, Levi handed him a cup of coffee. "You better be happy that I made this for you, brat. I know it's bad for you to be drinking coffee like this, but knowing you, it'll take a good three or four cups for you to actually stay up late,"

His taste buds tingled at the contact of the warm liquid; it tasted very sweet, the coffee much more delicate and weak than the usual dark roast he'd drink in the morning. Either way, he enjoyed the taste and sipped carefully, savoring the sweet flavor. It surprised him to think that Levi would actually make him coffee... _sweet_ coffee, to be exact. Before he was even halfway done with his drink, Levi gripped both of his shoulders and peered into his eyes with intensity he's never shone before. The look itself made Eren's eyes widen, but that only earned him a relieved sigh.

Levi let go of his shoulders and said, "I thought that traumatized you for good. At least you still give me that hopeless look,"

The brunette processed this for a moment before flaring, "What do you mean 'hopeless'? You weren't even affected in the slightest! What the hell was that?!"

"It was me caring for your bratty ass and taking you away from there before any more damage was done,"

Eren set the cup down on the floor and folded his arms above his chest with a sneer. "Fucking Nac... he killed Thomas. I shouldn't of let that bastard get away,"

"Eren, no -" _(he sat next to the brunette and tapped the arms that were folded above his chest) _"- Don't be so stubborn and ignorant. I don't give a rat's ass if you want your revenge. The bastard's dead and probably roaming hell right now. Is that enough to satisfy you?"

"He knew that the chain would have broken if that car was moved more than necessary!"

Levi pinched the bridge of his nose with frustration. "If he knew that, then why would he have that reaction to Thomas' death? Wouldn't you think he'd get the fuck out of there before someone caught him?"

"I- I don't -"

"- Exactly," he cut in, "you were lucky enough to get out of there without being traumatized for life. I would have thought by now that you've seen the worst,"

A flustered blush formed on Eren's cheeks. "Well... yeah, I kinda have, just not like that. I've never seen intestines outside of a dissection, and I never knew how much blood really was inside of the human body. It all happened so suddenly, too... I've only ever seen something like that in a movie, not in real life,"

"I understand," Levi nodded. He laid back on the couch and sighed, "I told you, kid. Mechanics are filthy,"

"... Yeah..." Eren thought for a moment and added, "You weren't affected at all by it... why?"

That was the wrong question to ask. The warm atmosphere around them lowered to a frigid level and Levi's eyes were turned to the floor rather than his friend's face.

"That doesn't matter now," he replied with a grim voice, "I guess you could say I watched way too many horror movies in my shitty childhood and got used to it,"

"Levi -"

"- Shut up and drink your fucking coffee,"

He did as he was told, watching as the raven looked up from his feet and stared out the window. He could have sworn he saw Levi swipe a hand over the bracelets wrapped around his forearms in the process.


	4. Familiarity

**Note:** I like breaking my characters, and let's face it, harassment like this happens all the time. It's bad to say that I've experienced some of it. Have some extra [mild] Riren to make a very small part of your day.

**Disclaimer:** The bands and songs mentioned in this chapter do not belong to me. If you're interested, the song that's played later on in this chapter is named 'Sink or Swim' by Falling in Reverse.

* * *

_**Chapter Four; Familiarity**_

The word had spread like wildfire about Nac and Thomas' death. It's not like most of the students there gave a damn [about Nac], but their family and close friends all mourned the next week; there was Mina, who skipped a class because she couldn't stop crying; Samuel, who constantly tried to comfort her; Armin, Mikasa, Annie, Bertolt, and the rest all exchanged weary looks at the mentions of their deaths; and Eren, who was oddly silent the next week. It was true what Levi told him before – if Nac's true intention was to murder Thomas, then he wouldn't have had that reaction and he would have made a quiet getaway. He pondered over the thought and made different scenarios in his mind that seemed to fit perfectly with the situation, but in the end, they were brushed aside because they made no sense.

Levi still wasn't affected by the situation. There wasn't anything 'different' about him, except for the fact that it looked as if he was very busy the next two or three days. There were times where he would arrive late from the office, and others where it looked as if he didn't get any sleep. But all of that stopped towards the end of the week. His conversations were normal, and whenever their murders were brought up, he spoke casually about it and answered any question someone would ask him. Over time, the way Thomas and Nac died started to take twists and turns, and the rumors got terrible. People said that Eren must have forced Nac to do something, and that he wasn't mourning over his death because of how glorious it must have been to him. Oh, the bullshit teenagers come up with. They even said things about him planning out Thomas' murder in his novel, which only made things worse. When Levi first heard of this, he told Eren to be careful; but he already was, ever since his two friends died. At first, most of the other male students hated him for being gay (while most of the girls demanded hugs from him), and now the rumor that Eren was the reason why Thomas died would get him in deeper shit. He's been taunted before about his sexuality and had repeatedly been called a 'shitty queer' by numerous people.

It wasn't unheard of, but it certainly was rare. Not a lot of people came out, in fear that their sexuality would affect their popularity, but at the end of the day, Eren could care less. He wasn't the only homosexual in his small group of friends – hell, most of them were gay (and if Eren recalls correctly, Annie swore once that she'd turn out to be a one-night-stand lesbian). Eren started to panic a little when Levi found out that he was gay; he thought he'd be pushed away like most others did to him. But, to his greatest relief, Levi supported him and offered comfort whenever someone would taunt him. Things were going by so well (besides the death of his close friends). Thomas was part of the school's basketball team, so, of course, he had numerous fans and friends. But that didn't stop him from hanging out with the one group that had the most accepting (it'd also be accurate to add 'weird' and 'outgoing') people.

Levi insisted that Eren stayed with him after school to help clean up the library. Eren loves the library very much (not for the actual books, but for the privacy he usually gets and the amount of funny conversations he's had with a number of people) and agreed to help organize the shelves and clean the windows. It didn't surprise him when Levi said that he'd usually stay after school to help clean up, but what did surprise him was that he was the only one that knew about it (besides the teachers and custodians). When they were done cleaning the windows, Eren waited outside of the library for the raven, who left to put all of the supplies back.

He started to doze off for a bit before he was interrupted; "Hey, queer!"

Well, damn.

Eren saw a small group of four students walking his way, and they were all _very_ familiar with each other. If he remembered (and he certainly didn't want to), these were the same people that attacked him after school the previous year. They confronted him on the last day of school, when most were careless and when he'd usually walk home with his friends. After he dropped off Armin, he left to his own home, only to be confronted halfway and beaten to a bloody pulp. He could have sworn that Mikasa made the palm of her hands bleed from the amount of times she dug her nails into the skin with frustration and anger.

He certainly didn't want to relive that nightmare, so on instinct, he bolted towards the nearest exit. The fact that Levi was coming back didn't concern him now – he just wanted to leave with the skin around his eye untainted and his limbs attached perfectly fine. It was just his luck that when he turned the corner, he ran right into a rather tall student, who sneered at him and grabbed the collar of his shirt. He was thrown aside like a rag doll, and when he opened his mouth to call for help, he immediately stopped; the hallway he was in was quite dark, with naught a sound to be heard besides his panicked breaths. Of course, it was just his luck... no one was there to even hear him, and if there was, they were too scared to interfere.

"What's wrong, queer?"_ (He received a swift kick to the stomach when he tried to stand up, making him grunt and fall back into a fetal position)_ "Still scaring people off with how gay you are?"

This hurt him more than it should have. "Think that's an insult, asshole?"

"Who are you calling an asshole?"

Eren coughed for breath when he was forcefully lifted up by the collar of his shirt. The fabric around his neck tightened significantly and started to suffocate him – tears built up in the corners of his eyes when breathing became very raspy, and in the background, he saw that the other four caught up and were watching with amused eyes. His ignorance got the best of him in this situation, and so did his panic.

"D- Didn't... you... h- hear me?" the brunette gasped, "Or are... you fucking... d- deaf?"

At this point, his feet weren't even touching the ground; he fruitlessly kicked, but that gained him nothing. The student growled and threw him to the ground, only to turn him around and force him on his knees. His wrists were gripped and his arms were pulled back, being forcefully stretched behind him. Eren felt his arms burn painfully as his limbs were slowly being pulled out of their sockets, the what made it worse was that the student had one foot on his back for support. Things were getting horrible way too fast for his comfort.

The other students surrounded them, and the leader of the group with messy black hair stepped forward to say something; "We heard what you did to Thomas,"

"That wasn't me, damn it!" Eren snarled, earning a heavy punch to the jaw.

While he moaned in pain, the student continued, "Think you're smart, dipshit? We'll fuck you up for murdering one of the best player on our team,"

After a couple of vicious blows to the jaw and abdomen, everything started to blur and slow down, everything but the pain he felt. God knows how many bruises he might have by now.

As soon as he felt his arms start to pop out of their sockets, he screamed in pain and despair, "_Fuck!_"

When the leader raised a fist to silence him, he felt someone grab the collar of his shirt from behind and throw him to the side with ease. At that point, everyone stopped what they were doing to see what was going on; Eren smiled weakly when he saw that Levi was holding the student around the neck in a very threatening choke hold, his eyes darkened with hatred. How he even managed to get the upper hand with their major height difference was a mystery to all of them.

"What do you think you're doing, asshole?!" the student behind him yelled.

"I think I'm threatening to kill your piece of shit friend if you don't let Eren go," Levi said with a monotonous voice.

"Yeah, right!"

Levi's hold around the raven's neck tightened significantly, earning a throaty gasp. This made the rest of them stare with frightened looks. "Do you really think I'm playing with you, kid? You only need three minutes without oxygen in order to die, so it's either this bitch suffocates or I fucking crack his neck into pieces,"

"Hey, man, what the fuck?! We're only playing around, okay? Just let him go!"

Eren's arms were released and the other students stepped away from him with fear. His arms throbbed with relief, and he curled up on his side to ease the pain in his abdomen. Levi, too, released the leader of the group (who immediately scrambled away with one hand rubbing his aching neck) and stepped away to collect Eren. The brunette smiled when Levi reached a hand out to him, but his eyes widened with fear when he saw a sudden movement in the corner of his eye. He opened his mouth to say some sort of warning, but Levi was already ahead of him.

Levi spun around and skillfully grabbed the fist that was swung at him with one hand. It was fairly large compared to his, and his strength was surprising for them all. One of the students with dirty blonde hair and piercings on his face decided to attack Levi when he wasn't looking, but that failed miserably. Levi stepped away from Eren and raised his fists in a defensive stance – this mildly scared the blonde, but he followed anyways. The rest of the students carefully inched away from them, knowing that Levi was more of a threat than he looked.

Eren watched as the raven dodged most of the punches that were thrown at him, only to counterattack and knock the student off balance. The student fell on his rear and was pushed back to the ground by the collar of his shirt. Levi straddled his stomach and pinned him down with a threatening hold around his collar, his free hand forming into a fist above his head. He swiftly brought it down, breaking the blonde's nose with a deafening crack and drawing out a fairly heavy amount of crimson blood. Levi clucked his tongue with disgust at the blood that covered his knuckles and stood up, leaving the student to cower in pain. He helped Eren up to his feet and supported him with an arm around his waist, though he was quite reluctant to do so because of how dirty Eren's clothes were from being manhandled.

"Disgusting brats," Levi sneered as they walked past the student, who had blood seeping through the fingers of the hand cupped over his broken nose.

When they were a safe distance away, Levi draped one of Eren's arms over his shoulders and gripped his waist tighter for more support. "The fuck do you think you were doing, trying to pick a fight you can't win?"  
"I didn't even start it!" the brunette whined, wincing in the throbbing pain in his shoulder.

"... They went after you?"

"What do you think?!"

They found a restroom near the lunch area a couple of minutes later. Levi took him there and seated Eren on the counter, ignoring the protests in the process. He went to the sink and turned on the water, thoroughly washing the blood off his knuckles with soap and water. He then dried his hands and reached for the towels, folding a piece into a neat square and drenching it with the warm liquid.

"You couldn't fight back?" he asked, wringing the water out of the towel and bringing the damp surface to Eren's cut lip.

While he cleaned off the blood on his lip, Eren answered, "No, I never learned how to fight. Mikasa always said I'd break something if I tried learning from someone,"

"Someone who isn't careful," Levi muttered bitterly, throwing the bloodied towel into the nearest trash bin and soothingly dabbing the other damp towel on Eren's bruises.

"... How did you learn how to fight?" Eren asked. "That was _awesome_... I mean, I never saw someone fight like that before,"

"Is that so?" Levi idly replied. "I... took a few lessons when I was younger..."

"You're lucky,"

"Not as lucky as you think,"

There was a small silence. After Levi cleaned him up and dusted his clothes, he offered, "... I can teach you how to fight,"

"Wait... r- really?!" Eren gasped brightly when he saw Levi nod. "I can't believe it! When do we start?"

"When these are gone," Levi said, poking at one of the bruises and earning a small growl.

"Don't treat me like a little kid!"

"You _are_ a little kid,"

He continued to poke at the bruises just to piss Eren off, and surprisingly, it worked. Eren hissed and slapped his hands away, only to earn another poke to the stomach. There were bruises there, too, and he whined softly in minor pain. Levi chuckled at this and continued to lightly tease the bruised skin with gentle prods, watching as the brunette writhed in discomfort.

"You're such an asshole, you know that?!"

When Levi rolled his eyes and stopped his movements, Eren's cheeks flushed in embarrassment; he noticed that Levi was much too close to him. Invading his personal space... and the urge got the best of him...

… Without thinking, he pressed his lips to Levi's forehead.

They stayed motionless for what felt like hours until Eren caught himself and pulled back. He pressed a hand to his lips and muttered an apology, trying to look at anything but Levi. How awkward the situation must be for him. Eren winced when he felt Levi wrapped his arms around him.

"... And you're such a little shit,"

He was lifted off of the counter and set back on his feet – the raven let go of him and watched as he blushed and leaned back against the counter. They stood in silence for a moment before he felt a hand grip his shoulder. He looked and saw that Levi was staring at him intensely, his usually cold gray eyes somewhat bright and warmer than they usually were. Eren gave him an apologetic smile, but Levi waved it off and wrapped an arm around his friend's waist again. The blush on Eren's cheeks intensified greatly. Did Levi not care? Fuck, reading him was very close to impossible.

"Could you walk on your own or do you need help?" Levi asked, slightly tightening the hold around him to emphasize the question.

"Er... y- yeah, I think I need the support..."

Levi grinned and muttered sarcastically, "_Of course_ you do, brat,"

**o0o0o0o**

The end of September was approaching very quickly, and it was hard to think that school just started a little over one month ago. It all went by so fast. At this point, his shoulders no longer ached and his bruises healed, meaning that Levi could start teaching him how to fight. While he sat in his history class, he impatiently watched the clock on the wall and waited for it to strike two-thirty so he could leave. Levi offered to take him home that day so they could start their 'training', and the thought of it made him squeal with excitement on the inside. The kiss that they shared (well, it wasn't exactly a _kiss_, just lip to forehead contact) was never mentioned between them after it happened . Mikasa, of course, bombarded him with questions when he arrived home, and she gave Levi's car a threatening look before he drove off.

The bell rang as soon as the clock struck two-thirty, and he snapped out of his little trance and cursed when he saw that he didn't even bother putting anything away. While the students filed out of the classroom, he put away his supplies and shoved his binder into his backpack. He was the last student to leave the classroom after saying 'goodbye' to his teacher, but that was alright. When he stepped out of the classroom, Levi was waiting for him, leaning back on the wall with his arms crossed above his chest.

"Ready to go, kid?"

"Yeah,"

Numerous students whispered things to each other when they saw Levi and Eren walk towards the student parking lot, most of those rumors being things like 'those two are going out' or 'I heard that kid with the black hair beat up the basketball team'. They were stupid teenagers that just_ loved _to gossip. Levi rolled his eyes at them and gripped the strap to his messenger bag, resisting the constant urge to groom Eren's obnoxiously messy hair.

**o0o0o0o**

"You learn a lot faster than I thought,"

They were both breathing heavily with fatigue. Levi wiped the sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief as Eren grinned cheekily at him. He spent a good two to three hours teaching Eren things like holds, throws, different fighting stances and numerous moves. It's just like he said – Eren was a surprisingly fast learner. He invited the brunette into the kitchen and rummaged through the fridge for a refreshing drink.

When they first arrived there, Eren was taken by full surprise; Levi lived in a very large house (but it was still one floor) that had four bedrooms (One for his parent, their work space, a guest room, and his room) and two bathrooms. The rooms themselves were huge compared to Eren's, and the garage was very large and completely empty besides things like treadmills, punching bags, and so on. It didn't surprise him to see what Levi actually worked out, but he's only seen faint outlines of his built abdomen through his undershirt in the locker rooms. The house was kept neat and was painted the pure color of white, with things like tea sets, trophies, certificates, and pictures covering small portions of the walls and shelves. Eren smiled when he saw a picture of Levi in one of the frames; Levi seemed to be about eight or nine at he time (he looked very tiny compared to now) and had a bright smile on his face, his gray eyes sparkling with joy and a trophy in his hand. He'd kill to see Levi smile like that again.

Levi threw Eren a cold bottle of water and said, "Here, kid. You did great today,"

"Did I?" he grinned.

While Levi nodded and took a sip from his water, he placed the bottle down on the counter next to him, removing his shirt right afterward. Eren nearly choked on a mouthful of water when he saw the raven's muscles flex as he pulled the shirt over his head, putting his nicely built abdomen in full display. Levi didn't see this as he stared at the shirt in disgust.

"Ugh, that's disgusting..." he turned to Eren (who immediately snapped out of his trance) and said, "I'm going to take a shower. You can use the guest bathroom after, if you want. We can't both have warm water at the same time, so who's going first?"

"Er... it's your house, so you choose,"

"Hmph," Levi walked out the kitchen door and said, "You're the guest, so I guess you're always first in these situations. I'll give you a set of clothes. Bathroom's down the hallway to the left,"

He hurried out the kitchen and said, "Don't blame me if the bathroom is flooded after!"

"I'll dropkick you into the next district, you fuck,"

**o0o0o0o**

When they were both showered and dressed in clean clothing, they sat together in Levi's bedroom, which was [unsurprisingly] clean. Nothing was out of place in the room and everything was pushed to the side. His desk was neat and everything was filed in order, and the only thing that seemed off in the room was the posters on the wall. Posters with various bands such as Bring Me The Horizon, Breaking Benjamin, and Falling in Reverse were pinned up on the walls, most of them above or next to his bed (that was, of course, neatly made). Eren laid on his bed and absentmindedly scrolled through his phone while Levi flipped through a couple of CD's that were lined on his desk near a small radio.

"You don't mind if I play some music, right?" he asked, and Eren nodded.

After he inserted the CD and pressed 'play' on the radio, the sound of drums and a guitar playing a fast and heavy beat was heard, accompanied by the tapping of Levi's foot. He flipped out his phone and started to text someone, and by the way his look softened, it must have been a friend of his. Eren watched as Levi grinned and tucked the phone away.

"Armin says that Mikasa is looking for you," Levi said, his grin only slightly widening when he heard a groan.

"I'll text her, I guess..."

He sent Mikasa a reassuring text, only to get back the usual 'be careful, Eren' by his sister. When he turned to Levi to start a conversation, he saw that the raven was playing with eyeliner in his hands. He twirled the stick between his two fingers and lightly bobbed his head in time with the music's beat. Eren smiled at this (though he was still questioning the eyeliner) and sat up on the bed.

"Levi... I have a few questions... but you have to answer honestly, all right?"

This earned him a slightly reproachful look. "Ask away, kid,"

"... Why is it that you seem kind of... _shady_ with your past?"

For some reason, Levi snorted at this. "There's a lot of shit that happened in my childhood that you wouldn't like to hear about. That's the furthest I'll go with that question,"

"Oh..." Eren shrunk back a bit before asking again, "What about you and Mikasa? She looks like she's just about ready to elbow drop you every time you're nearby,"

"About that..." the raven turned to him in his seat and propped his head up on one folded hand. "We have student government together,"

"Wait, you're in student government? How did I not know this?"

"I guess you're as oblivious as I thought," he ignored the pout and continued, "Your sister and I didn't really get off on a good start. I'm starting to think that she considers me a curse now,"

"What happened?" Eren asked, his curiosity shining through his large eyes.

**.**

**.**

_ "Shitty glasses," Levi sneered._

_ Hanji pouted as she mounted the ladder. "What's wrong, Levi? You're not tired, are you?"_

_ "I don't want to be here," he growled._

_ "Then why did you sign up for student government?"_

_ "I promised that old fuck I'd join for the last two years. Biggest mistake of my life,"_

_ "Oh, yeah, you'll keep _that _promise, huh?"_

_ Levi growled in disapproval and reluctantly held onto the legs of the ladder, nearly shuddering when he lifted a finger and saw the ashen color of dust. The ladders at school were very old, some of them even broken, and required another person to hold them up so they don't fold inward and drop the person on it. He wasn't at all fond of heights, so Hanji offered to put up the poster for him. They were decorating the gym for the first orientation that was approaching soon, some of the posters welcoming the Freshmen to a new school and others greeting the Sophomores. He thought it a great waste of time, but at least he got to visit some of his old friends after what felt like a lifetime._

_ He felt a prickle at the back of his neck that made him look over his shoulder to see who it was. He was met with black eyes that showed no light whatsoever, accompanied my an emotionless look and short, raven-like hair. He met this person before two weeks ago when the members of the student government first arrived at the school for introductions and such. Levi nodded at Mikasa as a greeting, only to be met with a slightly reproachful look. She turned back to her own poster and continued to decorate the large cursive letters on it. Levi narrowed his eyes and returned his attention towards the ladder, watching as Hanji taped the poster to the wall._

_ He heard someone excitedly call out his name; "Levi!"_

_ The voice was familiar. When he turned his head, he was met with honey-colored eyes and a sweet smile. Petra stood at the doorway of the gym and trotted to him, holding out her arms for a hug. He mouthed the words 'hold up' and tilted his head to the ladder to signal that he had to keep it up, but Petra didn't catch it and threw herself at him for a hug. Out of sheer instinct, he let go of the ladder and caught her in his arms. His eye twitched with minor fear as he heard the squeak of the ladder next to him abruptly snapping shut._

_ Hanji gasped, "Levi, what happened?!"_

_ He pushed Petra out of the way of the ladder as it came crashing to the ground. Hanji fell off beforehand and squeaked in fear, covering her head to handle the fall, but before she hit the ground, someone caught her in their arms. She looked up and saw that Mikasa had caught her... but what was off was that the usually expressionless face was filled with dislike. Hanji smiled at her as she pushed her glasses further up the bridge of her nose. Levi rolled his eyes and brushed the dust off his hands with a disgusted look. _

_ "Ooh, thanks Mikasa! You're a life saver!" she giggled, stepping out of Mikasa's arms and waving her hands to whisk away the concerned students around them._

_ When the students left, Hanji hauled Petra away to continue decorating the gym, leaving Levi and Mikasa alone. Mikasa continued to stare at him with a look of mixed emotions before she took a step towards him. He instinctively tensed up to protect himself from any sort of harm._

_ "You're Levi, right?" she asked, her usually expressionless voice filled with some sort of concern._

_ "What's it to you?"_

_ "... You're familiar to me..." Mikasa muttered, taking another step forward._

_ Levi stayed in his spot. "What do you mean?"_

_ "... We've met before, I know we did. I remember your name... it's Levi Ac-"_

_ "- No, it's not," he snapped, cutting her off before she could finish her sentence. "I don't know you. We never met until two weeks ago, and if we did happen to meet before, I probably don't remember it. Or you have the wrong person,"_

_ Her tone darkened, "No, I don't have the wrong person,"_

_ Before the conversation could alter to any type of degree, he turned on his heel and left her, saying, "We have a lot to do before orientation, Mikasa. Let's get to work,"_

_ Levi could have sworn he heard Mikasa curse him under her breath._

_**.**_

_**.**_

"Wait, you met Mikasa before? How?" Eren asked.

"I assure you, Eren, I never met her before," he listened to the song (which altered to rough screams) for a couple of moments and continued, "I think she got me confused with someone else,"

"I guess she did," Eren flopped back down onto the bed and listened to the music ('sink or swim, hit or miss' if he heard correctly). "What about your last name? You seemed defensive when she was about to call you a different name,"

Levi growled in response, "I can give less of a shit about what people call me, but honestly, it pisses me off when someone asks me if I'm actually related to Erwin. Those little fucks don't understand the meaning of 'yes, my last name is Smith'. I just want to get that point across,"

Eren pondered for a moment and muttered, "I didn't know you were related to the vice principle,"

"I wish I wasn't, but oh well. Life's supposed to suck anyways," the raven replied with a casual voice.

As soon as the music came to a stop, Levi offered to take him home, which he reluctantly agreed to. He wanted to stay for a while longer, just listening to music and making idle conversation. It just felt so slow and lazy to do so... but at the same time, it felt right. Besides learning basic fighting techniques and stances, he got something else that was worthwhile – he now knew why Mikasa 'hates' Levi... or so he thinks.

* * *

**Extra Note:**

Princess Asterezintia Rose: I guess you can call it that, but there's a very big difference between my story and Final Destination. I also need to space out everyone's _murders_, so [sadly] they're not back-to-back. I hope I don't bore people with my shitty attempts at weaving plot and filler together until Senior year.

L. Kagamine-sama: Nah son, I think he's a Ghoul *winkity wink*


	5. Curse

**Note:** Since I gave you a really short chapter, I'm going to break my uploading schedule, so expect another chapter in a day or two (rather than three or four). Notice me. This story will fuck logic because, to me, humans are frail and ignorant creatures. My warning to you for the rest of the story~

**Disclaimer:** The song mentioned in this chapter does not belong to me. If you're interested, it's 'Keep Holding On' by Falling in Reverse.

* * *

_**Chapter Five: Curse**_

Eren absentmindedly chewed on his student ID as he leaned back in his chair and stared out the window. He was waiting for Levi this morning since he arrived about thirty minutes earlier than usual with Mikasa. Apparently the school was covered in graffiti, and no one really knew who did it until they saw a neatly spray-painted picture of two roses intertwined by the vines, the petals shining with the morning dew. Under that was a messily written message; 'Garrison is #1'. There was an upcoming basketball game for the month of October (the basketball team at their schools were made sometime in August), and they were going against Garrison High to start off the year. The principle would have called it a 'friendly competition', but the term 'friendly' never applies when it comes to basketball.

While he continued to chew on his ID, he tilted further back in his seat, unaware of the gray eyes that were watching him with a reproachful look.

"Don't break something, you brat,"

The sudden entrance made him snap out of his daydream and fall backwards on his chair. He hit the floor with a loud thud, groaning in pain as he tried to squirm out of the mess. This felt too familiar for comfort. Levi pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed while a couple of passersby snickered. Once Eren recollected himself and muttered incoherent insults under his breath, the very few students that were in the area lost interest and left.

He replaced the chair and snapped, "Took you long enough!"

"What, I couldn't take a decent shit in peace?" Levi sassed.

This only made his immature self laugh. However, a soon as the laughter started, it stopped; there was a small hiss nearby them at one of the bookshelves.

"Would you two kindly shut the fuck up? This is a library, in case you haven't noticed,"

Eren rolled his eyes when he saw that Annie was carrying a small bundle of books, fitting them back into their shelves with an unimpressed look on her face. She was the librarian's assistant this year, and so far, she hasn't said anything to anyone unless she was addressed to first (but Armin, Reiner, and Bertolt were an exception). Annie gave Eren a look that made him shiver; it was a mixed look of confusion, frustration, and disappointment. As soon as she placed the last book back in its place, she quietly stalked off into the rows of bookshelves, leaving Eren and Levi alone once more.

Instead of sitting down in his usual spot, the raven readjusted his shoulder strap and asked, "You heard about the game coming up, right? I have to go to the gym and help setup for it. I thought it was next week, but apparently it was moved this week and we have to bust our asses getting everything decorated in time. Want to come?"

"I don't have to work, do I?" Eren whined, reluctantly leaving his seat and throwing his backpack over his shoulder.

"I don't know, since you're a filthy brat, you can look under the bleachers and try to find something. I remember some kid found a flashdrive a couple of -" _(He stopped in the middle of his sentence and hesitated for a moment)_ "- a... couple of... _days_ back,"

Eren didn't notice his hesitation and replied, "All right then, I'll try to find something for you. But what will you do if I get stuck there?"

Levi gave him a very faint grin. "Before or after I start laughing?"

"You're no fun, you know that?"

"Of course I'm not, Hunter. I don't have time for that,"

**o0o0o0o**

When they arrived at the gym, Eren saw a couple of students working around the area; some were putting up banners, cleaning the bleachers, playing with the buzzer, or fixing something that was either cracked or broken. They met up with Mina and Samuel, who were both working on what looked like fixing the basketball net. The heavy board behind the net wobbled uneasily at Samuel removed one of the nails in it. Since the school didn't bother to replace their old ladders, Mina had to hold onto the legs to keep it from snapping shut. Mina heard their footsteps, looked back, and smiled with relief.

"Oh, good! Someone I can talk to," she looked up at Samuel and called, "Samuel, say hello to Eren and Levi!"

Samuel looked away from his work and gasped, "You're helping out, too? Damn, I thought it was just us. I felt lonely for a second there,"

Mina rolled her eyes and turned back to the duo. "Most of the people in student government are trying to remove the graffiti, so some of the regular students like us were asked to help out before the game tonight,"

Levi watched as Samuel worked. "We're replacing the nets?"

"No, not unless Reiner manages to break it again this year. Mr. Pixis said that the nails were getting a little loose, so for safety purposes, we're replacing them,"

He nodded and looked around. "I think I'll help put up the posters. Coming, brat?"

"Why not?"

They left Mina and Samuel to continue working on the basketball net. Levi rolled his eyes when he heard Eren whine about the work, which only made Mina smile. She's never seen Eren so close to anyone outside of his little group of friends, and it was a very nice change. She couldn't deny that she missed Thomas, but there was no point in spending the rest of her days mourning over his death. Crying won't bring him back. The raven sighed and looked up at Samuel, who seemed to be fumbling with something in his pocket.

"Hey, can you pass me a nail or two? I think I dropped mine," he called.

Without thinking, Mina let go of the ladder and left for the toolbox behind her. When she poured out its contents, she saw that it was filled with nails, some rusted, others blunt, and quite a few looked as if they were brand new. Samuel lost his balance as the ladder swayed dangerously underneath him, and he gripped the basketball net for support.

"Forget it, Mina! I think they're in my pocket," Samuel said with a very small hint of fear issuing in his voice.

Mina didn't even bother putting the nails back. She tucked a few into the pocket of her jeans and returned back to the quaking ladder, helping Samuel regain his balance. He went back to removing some of the nails from their sockets and searched himself for nails again. Mina caught this and rummaged through both of her pockets to find one that he may see fit. This was a mistake, though... in that instant, the legs of the ladder cracked and folded inward. Samuel gasped a desperate profanity as he fell backwards off the ladder, hitting the floor with a loud thud and a disgusting crack. Mina's eyes widened as this all happened; she let out a scream and took a couple of steps back from the scene in front of her. The back of Samuel's head slammed down onto the nails on the floor.

What remained of the broken ladder crashed down to the floor, the loud noise gaining everyone's attention. Blood steadily poured out of Samuel's cracked skull, some of the long nails that were standing upright on the floor buried deep within his head. A small pool of the crimson liquid surrounded his head as his steadily eyes drained of color and his body gradually became limp. Both Eren and Levi stared (as well as everyone else around them) in silence before the brunette cursed under his breath and sprinted to her side.

"Mina, what happened?" he asked stupidly.

Mina started to hyperventilate as tears freely poured from her eyes. "I d- didn't know that the l-l- ladder would fall if I let _go-o_! I just did what t-t- the other students w- were doing! He didn't tell me _anything_! Samuel!_ S- Samuel!_"

Eren started to get impatient with panic. "Who didn't tell you anything? Mina,_ who?_"

"H- He was -"

Her sentence was interrupted with a terrified gasp. The heavy board above her head that held the basketball net creaked loudly before it broke out of its place and plummeted to the ground. Eren was in its way, as well, but he felt someone grab his jacket and throw him back out of the way. Mina didn't have enough time to get away; well, she didn't even get the choice to run since she fainted. The sharp edge of the wooden board crashed into her skull, and due to the bullshit we call gravity, the rest of her body joined in suit. Her entire being was compressed and her blood splattered around that small area – some of it even splattered over Eren's shoes. The death looked very painful... but at least she wasn't conscious to suffer.

Numerous students that were helping around the area screamed in terror at the sight and darted out of the gym to seek for help while others were too traumatized to do anything. Eren scrambled to his feet and tried to reach out to Mina, but someone held him back. He turned to rage at whoever it was, but he immediately stopped when he saw that it was Levi holding him back with a pleading spark in his gray eyes. He understood and nodded, giving their dead bodies (Or rather, Samuel and Mina's very broken figure) a crestfallen look. Levi hauled him away from the scene towards the bleachers and gripped his shoulders, giving him a gentle shake.

"You all right?" Levi asked.

Eren nodded slowly. "How did Mina not know? Jesus, even I didn't know until now... what the hell..."

Levi opened his mouth to say something, but he stopped when he saw someone glaring at him from the doorway. It was Mikasa, who gave him a_ very_ threatening look and clenched her fists to her sides. Her eyes briefly flicked to the bloodied scene and back to Levi, and she mouthed the words; _'Get away from him.'_

"Levi? What happened?" the brunette turned around and saw Mikasa, her eyes oddly darkened with hatred. "Oh... shit..."

When the bell rang, both Eren and Levi sighed in relief. Mikasa gave the bell above them an unimpressed look and tucked her chin into her scarf, holding her binder close to her chest as she left to her first period classroom. Eren's reactions were a bit slow because of how hard he was processing the scene in his head, so Levi clucked his tongue impatiently and grabbed his hand. He led Eren out of the gym, trying his hardest to ignore how warm his friend's hand was against his. Eren stared at Levi with disbelief; even if it was just a friendly gesture (or an impatient one to get him out of the area), he still smiled knowingly and celebrated brightly on the inside. One their way out of the gym, they passed by the school police, who muttered their greetings and rushed to the bloodied scene.

**o0o0o0o**

Eren couldn't sleep that night. It didn't matter how many times he twisted and turned in his bed or how many times he readjusted his pillow. The clock already struck midnight and he wasn't even hungry. He knew something was wrong. His smart phone was still on his nightstand, laying unused and unwanted. The brunette sighed deeply as he allowed himself to contemplate the murders of his friends in his head; what caused them to happen? They looked like accidents, but... he gasped and sat up in his bed.

They happened after he arrived.

He shook his head and repeatedly muttered 'no' under his breath as he buried his face into his hands. Now that he thought of it... a lot of things happened because of him in the past... including his mother's death. No, that didn't matter now. His heart clenched painfully at the thought of his mother's death, making him growl with frustration and pull angrily on his hair. He came to the bitter realization that... he was a curse. Then it was a good thing the decided not to show up to the basketball game that evening. No... he couldn't be a 'curse'. Curses don't exist. While he started to relive the memory of his mother's death in his head, he let go of his hair and slapped himself. He had to get a grip. His cheek burned with the rough contact it had with his hand, but he ignored the uncomfortable sensation and reached for his phone.

He tried to text Levi, but he couldn't. Now that he looked back at it, Levi looked more stressed and pissed off than usual after their deaths, especially after he returned from the office much later on that day. But he shouldn't be so busy now... right? Eren needed the comfort. After every sentence he wrote, he erased and tried again, until about five minutes later, he came up with; _'Are you awake?'_ He found it very funny that Levi actually managed to get him to type his texts with correct grammar. Even Armin had trouble getting him to do that.

His heart skipped a beat when he received an almost immediate answer; _'- Yeah. Can't sleep, either?'_

Eren sighed with relief and laid back down on his bed. _'Nope.'_

_ '- Was it because of Mina and Samuel?'_

_ 'No.'_

_ '- You're lying.'_

_ 'I'm not.'_

_ '- If that's true, then why can't you sleep?'_

_ 'I had a cup of coffee earlier.'_

_ '- It takes you about four or five to actually stay up.'_

Eren growled in defeat. _'Levi, what am I to you?'_

_ '- You're a brat to me.'_

For some reason, that hurt him. _'I see...'_

_ '- Turn your ringtone down.'_

Eren did as he was told, and a minute later, his phone buzzed in his hand. He gasped when he saw that the caller ID was 'Levi', so he pressed the answer button and brought it up to his ear.

Levi sounded a bit drowsy; _'I don't know why you asked me that, but if it makes you feel better, you're not just a brat, you're an interesting brat. Now will you go to sleep?'_

Eren hung up the phone and dropped it off somewhere to the side of his bed. His heart fluttered in his chest like a butterfly when he heard Levi say that sentence. Yes, he was an _interesting_ brat. His body was filled with relief, and the thought that he was a curse was almost immediately scribbled off as if it was an incorrect answer on a test. He looked out the window and stared at the moon, which looked oddly bright that night. Within a couple of minutes, he dozed off into a comfortable sleep.

**o0o0o0o**

A faint grin formed on Levi's face when Eren hung up on him. What a brat. The raven laid back in his bed and groaned with discomfort. In the background, a slow song was playing – a nice change from most of the others he's been listening to that night. He stared out the window and furrowed his brow; the moon looked oddly bright. The thought of how Eren's eyes glistened brightly like the ghostly orb in the sky flashed in his mind.

He heard the song start its chorus; _'I can't believe I made it this far. All the way with a smile on my face. See the top and I'm not falling off.'_

Yes, it was true if he thought about it. So far, he's not falling off... and nor is Eren. That thought made a smile rip across his lips, one that he hasn't worn in a very long time. It's hard to believe it, but... he may just be falling for someone again. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing, but what happened last time won't happen again.


	6. Hopeless

**Note:** Updated earlier as promised~ Armin is one of those friends that you can never get awkward with (that's the only warning I'm willing to give you for this chapter). I'm also sure most of you know which characters I talked about here. *ahem* LEN *cough* VOCALOID *hack*

**Disclaimer:** The cartoon/anime/manga characters, video games, books, bands, and songs used in this chapter do not belong to me. Give Death Note some loving, you guys. It's amazing.

* * *

_**Chapter Six: Hopeless**_

_(Thursday)_

_(Two weeks before Halloween)_

Eren openly yawned as he stared at Armin's walls in disbelief; when the blonde told him he covered his walls, he meant it in a literal manner. They were covered with posters (wall scrolls), pins, bracelets, necklaces, small plushy characters, hats, and the list kept going on. The light blue wall paint was barely visible behind all of the items that were pinned to his wall. Compared to Eren and Levi's room, this was by far the most crowded (and should he mention messiest) one of all. Book series such as 'Harry Potter' and the 'Last Dragon Chronicles' were sprawled across the floor, along with several manga volumes. Armin's grandfather worked as a technician and taught him how to make his own computer by scratch, and now he owns two; one for gaming and the other for his own personal interests.

He hardly ever used his gaming computer (unless he was going to play a Japanese computer game, preferably BL), so he usually dumped Eren on there for a couple of hours. Today, however, Eren was more interested in the books than he's ever been. Armin introduced him to a book series named 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' that went on for thirteen books. Eren is currently reading the first book, and hell, was it great. It really sparked his interest... as demonic as it may sound, he enjoyed reading about children being tortured. He didn't like children – never has and never will. He'd usually hang out with Armin after school (most of the time, they'd stay at his house), and they'd gossip, read, play video games, do homework, or fuck around and end up breaking something.

Eren tore his eyes away from one particular poster on the wall and continued reading the book in his hand. He was laying on his stomach on Armin's bed, reading while his friend rummaged through a certain drawer from across the room. Armin pulled out several items of clothing and threw each of them on the ground after giving them an unimpressed look. The blonde was very skilled when it came to making clothes; or rather, skilled at making good cosplay. The drawer was filled with the cosplay he made (some he even bought) and the makeup he'd use for it. He had a very small area in his closet where he kept all of his fabric, accessories, tools, and sewing supplies.

After a couple of minutes, Eren looked up and tried to contain a laugh; there Armin was, staring at himself in the mirror with a judgmental look. He was wearing a white shirt that had a black collar that was lined with yellow, followed by matching shorts and a yellow tie. He was absentmindedly adjusting the loose arm warmers he wore (that were also black and yellow) and growled with frustration.

"Eren, I'm so lost," he undid the yellow tie and threw it aside with the rest of the shunned clothing. "Who am I going to cosplay as for Halloween this year?"

"I don't know, whoever you were dressing up as now is fine," Eren replied with a snort, shoving a bookmark between the pages he was reading and closing the book.

Armin pulled off his shirt and angrily threw it on the ground with the tie, revealing his fragile abdomen and chest. He pulled off the shorts (thankfully, he was wearing his PE shorts under that) and rummaged through the drawer again, the arm warmers being left forgotten. Eren climbed off the bed and crawled towards the pile of cosplay items on all fours, grabbing one of the shirts and examining it with only mild interest. It was a black short-sleeved shirt that had a red ribbon on the area above the heart with the letters 'RR' facing each other. Armin's bright gasp gained his attention.

"I should cosplay as He-man this year!" he squeaked excitedly.

Eren choked on his own spit at that idea. "Armin, pick something that's more... _you_ -" _(He gestured to Armin's frail abdomen, earning an embarrassed blush) _"- I'm not letting you walk around in your underwear on Halloween,"

"Oh, no, don't you worry!" Armin looked back in the mirror and struck a confident pose. "I'll grow abs in two weeks, just you wait!"

Eren snickered at this and buried his face into the black shirt. He groaned and looked back up, only to meet Armin's mischievous grin through the mirror. Armin giggled and pretended to flex his muscles.

Eren rolled his eyes. "Just great, now you can be the new government slogan,"

"Eren!" he whined, wrapping his arms around himself to cover his frail build. "I have to make something before Halloween... ooh, why don't you cosplay with me?!"

He scoffed at Armin's enthusiastic statement. "You'll end up dressing me like a schoolgirl,"

"You might as well be,"

They sneered at each other playfully and laughed in unison. Armin put his PE shirt back on and sat on his dresser. They merely stared at each other for a moment of silence before Eren thrust the shirt in his hand back into the pile of clothing and crawled back over to the bed.

He curled up into a tight ball growled, "I'm so fucking confused,"

"About?"

"Levi,"

"Knew it,"

Eren gave him a questioning look. "What do you mean?"

"Well, how long have you been crushing on him? Since the first day of school? No, before that," the blonde absentmindedly kicked his feet as he swayed in his seat with boredom. "I don't know what there's to be confused about. Actually... didn't he act like nothing happened when you kissed him?"

"I- I didn't kiss him!" he flared, a flustered blush forming on his cheeks. "That wasn't even a real kiss, anyways...!"

"Hmph, of course it wasn't!" Armin leaned forward a bit and waggled his eyebrows in a suggestive manner, "Who knows what else you did while you two were alone?"

"Seriously, Armin!"

He burst out in a fit of laughter when he saw Eren's face flush completely. Eren sneered and rolled onto his back, staring blankly at the ceiling. "It's weird, though... he's the only person outside of our group that didn't push me away when he read my novel, or when he found out that I was gay..."

"So?" Armin started to groom his hair. "Sexuality and writing habits doesn't necessarily define the person. I'm glad he didn't push you away. Also, how's the editing going so far? Did he finish checking over the things I missed?"

"Yeah, he's done. You two are just waiting for me to finish the latest chapter, and honestly, it's really hard trying to find inspiration for it,"

"You need a reading buddy, Eren,"

"I don't read that often,"

"Er... gaming buddy?" he gently pulled on his own hair and squealed, "Ooh, you should ask Levi to be your gaming buddy! He loves Legend of Zelda!"

The brunette covered his eyes and groaned. "How did I not know this?"

"Well, he just mentioned it in a very small comment in one of our conversations. We don't talk that much, though,"

Eren didn't know what to say afterward. Instead of trying to save the conversation, Armin started to braid his hair, singing sweetly in a very small tone that was barely heard from where his friend lay. He sang the lyrics to a fast Japanese song, and it eventually slowed down. Eren watched as Armin braided his hair, lost in his own train of thought.

He snapped out of his trance when Armin said, "By the way, I was thinking of something earlier. Why don't we all meet up somewhere to discuss and edit your story? It'll be so much easier like that instead of sending you back and forth with the edits we make,"

The brunette thought for a moment. "Holy shit... that would be awesome, if you think about it,"

"I did think about it!" Armin nodded in victory and played with his new braid. "So why don't you guys come over tomorrow? I'll make something for you two!"

"Really? You sure about that?" he sat up on the bed and gestured around the room. "Just giving you a friendly warning – Levi's a clean freak, and I'm pretty sure he'd throw a hissy fit if he saw your room,"

"Ah, don't worry about it, Eren! It'll be great tomorrow, I promise! I'll spoil you two with the best cake I could come up with," Armin hesitated for a moment before saying, "... He likes vanilla, right?"

"I don't know, we'll see,"

"Ooh, I'm so excited!"

Eren left Armin to sing happily to himself in Japanese while he worked on cleaning up his room.

**o0o0o0o**

The next morning, Eren told Levi about meeting up with his friend later on that day, and he gladly accepted. The day went by slower than usual – or maybe it just felt like that because he was excited. He's never actually hung out with Levi after school unless it was for cleaning purposes or to 'train' with him. This may actually be fun. As soon as the bell rang, he left with Levi to the student parking lot, meeting an unimpressed Mikasa halfway there. He gave her a tight hug and told her where he'd be, and to his greatest surprise, she lightened up a bit at his explanation. But the cold, hard look she always had when it came to Levi returned in a matter of seconds.

Armin was probably home before they were, so they decided to go to his house right after school rather than wait. When they got to his front door, Eren knocked, and a big of him started to worry about Armin's messy room. There was a sudden crash and a squeak, and the front door swung open. Armin was wearing the stereotypical pink apron that said 'kiss the cook' across the front in bold letters, his bangs kept out of his eyes with hair clips. He blushed in embarrassment when Levi grinned at his presentation and muttered for them to come in. Armin's living room was fairly neat, besides the usual tool and memory chip (since his grandfather was a technician) randomly placed about.

He undid the tie to his apron and carelessly threw it on the kitchen counter. "You should have told me you were coming over right after! You didn't even give me time to finish mixing the batter..."

Levi stared at a particular picture of Eren and Armin when they were younger. Eren was hugging Armin tightly from behind, resting his head on his shoulder and smiling vividly. It took him a moment to notice that Armin was carrying a small animal in his hands – it was a tiny kitten (probably a few of weeks old) that had black fur and a white spot at it's chest area. Armin disappeared back into the kitchen to finish mixing the batter for his cake and put it in the oven, leaving Eren and Levi alone in the living room.

The brunette rest his forearm on Levi's shoulder and said, "I remember when we took his picture. It was around fifth grade... Armin found a kitten on the side of the road and managed to nurse it back to full health,"

"... You two were always so close to each other, huh?" Levi mused, taking the frame in his hand and examining the genuine smile Eren wore. "You almost never smile like that anymore,"

"We were best friends since kindergarten," he replied. "His grandfather was always busy back then, so he'd come over to our house for a couple of hours,"

"I see..." the raven flicked at the kitten on the picture and asked, "...Where's this little shit? Is he still with you guys?"

Eren removed his forearm from his friend's shoulder and looked around. He pointed over to the kitchen entrance way, and sure enough, a small cat stalked around the corner, its whiskers twitching curiously in the air. The cat darted over to the couch and made itself at home, licking the back of its paw to commence its everyday grooming. Levi's eyes softened at the sight of the animal as he walked over to it, reaching out a hand and expecting some sort of greeting. It stopped its grooming to curiously nudge Levi's hand, and after a good sniff or two, it left the couch and weaved around his ankles.

Eren smiled as he watched Levi pick up the cat in his arms and play with its ears. "His name's Ryuzaki. Don't let Armin know that I told you this... but when he's pissed off, he calls the little guy 'Lawliet',"

Levi listened to Ryuzaki's faint purr. "So Armin named him after an anime character?"

"I didn't think you watched Death Note,"

"Of course I did," Levi gently ran a finger down the cat's spine, grinning as the purr steadily got louder. "I always liked cats... never thought about getting another one, though,"

"What happened to yours?" Eren asked.

He clapped his hand over his mouth with regret when he saw Levi abruptly set the cat down and turn away from it. Ryuzaki's large eyes drooped in disappointment, and he stalked back over to the kitchen to go bat at his owner's ankles. "... That's a story for another day,"

Eren sighed and sat down at the nearest couch. He was starting to get tired of Levi's shady act. The faint sound of the oven door closing was heard from the kitchen, followed by the sound of dishes being dropped into the sink. Armin was probably cleaning dishes now. Levi bit his lip with hesitation and took a seat next to the brunette on the couch, folding one leg over the other and comfortably placing his arm on the armrest.

"So, Hunter, what are you doing after school on Halloween?" he asked.

Eren kicked his feet as a bored gesture and answered, "I don't know, I think I'll go trick or treating with Armin,"

"You're sixteen and you still go around asking strangers for candy?"

"So? It's free candy! I can't pass that up,"

"Fucking brat,"

Eren stuck his tongue out at his friend, chuckling at his sneer. "Why did you ask? Do you want to come with us?"

"That's up to you guys, and I'd only go if I had a costume," Levi sighed. "Also, there's a dance on Halloween and I was given the chance to bring someone with me. I'm forced to show up because I'm in student government, and I have no one else to talk to there. You don't have to pay for the ticket since you're coming in with me,"

"Really? I've never went to one before," Eren boldly wrapped an arm around Levi's shoulders and muttered with a devious tone, "I always knew you'd be my first,"

Levi blushed at this comment. Actually _blushed_. The amount of perverted pictures that popped up in his head at that moment... he cursed himself highly for it. Eren burst out laughing when he saw this, earning a growl and a kick to the shins. Armin walked out of the kitchen and removed the hair clips that were holding back his bangs, giggling at the sight before him. The duo heard this giggle and pulled away from each other, both of them looking the opposite direction with flustered expressions. Ryuzaki mewled as he trotted out of the kitchen, his gait very confident and proud because of the fake mouse he caught in his mouth (one that Armin probably hid earlier).

Armin cleared his throat and said, "I swear, you two are impossible. Let's go to my room for awhile. Eren, I hope you brought your flashdrive,"

**o0o0o0o**

Levi's reaction was actually quite entertaining. He stared at the wall scrolls in disbelief and coughed into the back of his hand to hide a laugh. Armin was embarrassed by this, but after awhile, he got comfortable and acted the way he would usually act with Eren when Levi wasn't there. While he waited for his computer to start up, he started to rant about the manga sales being a load of bullshit. The brunette sunk back into the shadows as Levi started to converse with Armin about manga and cosplay. Armin talked animatedly while Levi grinned at his enthusiasm and started to open up a bit in the conversation. Eren curled up on the bed and played with his phone, instinctively flinching when he felt the bed shift with the weight of the raven sitting on the corner. The topic of Halloween came up in that instant.

"What's your costume going to be this year, Levi?" Armin asked curiously, plugging the flashdrive into his computer.

"I don't know yet. I probably wouldn't dress up as anything this year,"

"How can you not?!" the blonde spun about in his seat and excitedly continued, "You should cosplay with Eren and I! I can make something for you!"

"You can sew?" Levi asked, his eyebrow rising with interest. "Who are you cosplaying, then?"

"I wanted to be Mello this year,"

"... Armin, you're going to become a cross-dressing chocolate obsessed mobster for a night. I'm not sure what my reaction should be,"

"Better than being He-man," Eren cut in, making both of them chuckle lightly with amusement.

After debating between each character, Armin settled on making a Ryuk cosplay for Levi and a Light cosplay for Eren. They all agreed to this (though Levi was still iffy on the concept of dressing up for Halloween) and Armin went to measure them. Sure enough, he took Eren's measurements the previous year, and chances are pretty damn good that he didn't gain or lose any weight since then. He got his measuring tape and took various measurements; legs, arms, waist, and so on. Levi wore a somewhat uncomfortable expression when the measuring tape reached his crotch area, but as soon as it started, it was over.

Armin tucked his glasses away and rummaged through his closet, allowing the raven to take control of the computer and read the novel for himself. He already caught up to the latest chapter Eren made, and all he needed to do was edit. Eren stood beside him and asked things like 'should he or she die the next chapter' or 'I'm not sure if this event should happen next'. Armin was sitting on his bed and comparing different fabrics, and over time, Levi left the seat to allow Eren to type in a few things.

"Armin, mind telling me wheres the restroom?" he asked, turning away from Eren.

"Huh?" the blonde looked up from his work, and so did Eren. "Oh, its down the hall to the right,"

Levi muttered his thanks and left the room, closing the door behind him with a quick snap. Armin went back to choosing his fabric, but he was interrupted as his friend crawled onto the bed and took the material from his hands. Eren set the fabric back down and gripped his shoulders.

"Armin, I need your help,"

"If it's your homework, forget about it,"

Eren rolled his eyes. "No, not that! Levi asked me to go to the Halloween dance with him,"

"Aww, that's so cute!" he squealed.

"T- That's not the thing..." Eren pulled away with a flustered blush. "... what if... okay, this will sound stupid -"

"- I know it will -"

"- what if he kisses me?"

Armin's squealing only got louder. "You're so hopeless!"

"I've never kissed anyone before," Eren whined with despair, tightening the grip around Armin's shoulders as his head drooped.

There was a small pause before the blonde said, "Wait... you've written things like smut and make-out scenes before, and you're seriously telling me _now_ that you've never kissed _anyone?_"

"Well, I have... but that was only once or twice..."

Armin rolled his eyes and said with a sarcastic tone, "Why don't you practice on me, then?"

The next thing he knew, he was being pushed backwards onto the bed, a surprised squeak issuing from the back of his throat. Eren squeezed his eyes shut as he kissed his best friend, roughly sucking on his unresponsive lips. It took Armin a moment to process what was happening before he started to kiss back, their lips messily dancing together. He blushed when he felt a warm appendage slip into his mouth, his hands finding their way into Eren's hair to pull in protest. He let out an angry squeal as Eren continued to kiss him, their teeth clanking together in the process.

As soon as Eren pulled away, he wiped his lips and panted for his breath. They stayed in silence for a moment with Eren still pinning his friend down by the shoulders. Armin sighed as he met the brunette's pleading look.

"If you're going to kiss Levi, don't let yourself panic and use too much tongue like you did right now -" _(He shrugged Eren's hands away from his shoulders and wrapped his arms around his neck) _"- I swear, Eren, the things you make me do. Here -"

He leaned in for another kiss. Eren followed in suit; this time it was much slower, their lips moving in synch, a flustered blush forming on both of their cheeks. Some part of Eren was starting to regret doing this since it felt so awkward – it was his ignorant and somewhat desperate side that got the best of him. He really did want to kiss Levi (considering the fact that it was his guilty little fantasy), and he truly was inexperienced. He didn't want to seem so hopeless to the raven. Armin's sweet kisses were... different, in a sense... he was just so _gentle_. Armin pulled away from the kiss and huffed with a silent laugh.

"- that's how you kiss someone," he concluded. "... You're an idiot, you know..."

"I know I am," Eren pouted, the embarrassment he felt with being so close to his childhood friend starting to become overwhelming.

At that moment, the door behind them swung open again, making Armin unwrap his arms from around Eren's neck and weakly push against his chest to tell him to get off. Levi stood at the doorway with a surprised look on his face, his eye twitching as he slowly backed out of the room as if nothing happened. Eren fumbled to untangle their legs and rolled off the bed, hitting the floor with a dull thud. He scrambled to his feet and desperately called for Levi, tripping on his way towards the door in the process. While he ran off after Levi, Armin rolled his eyes and went back to comparing the fabric on his bed, absentmindedly wiping his mouth to get the sweet taste of Eren off his lips.

**o0o0o0o**

The cake Armin was making was left forgotten, but it didn't matter since it burned to a crisp. Eren used the excuse of 'Armin has a crush on some guy and wants to kiss him' during the conversation he had with the raven over the phone. Even though the correct way to say that sentence would be to replace 'Armin' with 'Eren', it still slipped by like nothing happened. Levi seemed very amused about the situation over the phone and said he understood, but in all reality, he knew that wasn't the case. For Eren's greatest dismay, Armin told Levi the truth the following Monday (but he left out the part that mentioned the Halloween dance). The conversation that followed was very entertaining, and soon enough, Levi stopped his teasing, but he still seemed kind of quiet (they assumed that he was still processing the fact that Eren wanted to 'kiss' him). The three of them spent the rest of that morning together, sparking idle conversation with one another while they all scrolled through their phones. Since they were all going to edit the novel together, Armin was going to start hanging out with them every now and then, but it wasn't like they minded his presence. The blonde was very funny and energetic, and he usually brightened up their mornings.

Flash forward a couple of days later – the next Thursday quickly approached them, which meant that they had exactly one week until Halloween. Levi insisted that Armin came with them to the Halloween dance (since it would be his first time, as well), and he instantly agreed. A flustered blush formed on Eren's cheeks whenever he went over the situation of kissing Armin; the second time was much slower and more... 'loving'... in a sense. Was that really how you kissed someone? He wasn't going to do the same mistake again, and Armin would quietly tease him behind Levi's back by saying things like 'going to panic again?' and 'try using chap-stick before Halloween'. That little shit really knew how to piss him off sometimes, but their fights never lasted more than an hour (Armin actually timed it once).

After greeting the duo in the morning, Levi left to attend a meeting for student government, allowing the two to roam the library and do as they wished. While they stalked through the rows of bookshelves, Armin found his reading buddy sitting at a rounded table with Reiner, who were both quietly whispering to each other. The library wasn't very 'silent' in the mornings, so he didn't really see the point in that. Armin went over to Bertolt and Reiner, dragging Eren along with him.

"Morning!" he chirped, nudging Eren to do the same.

Reiner looked up from his lap and tucked something away (it was probably his phone). "Hey, guys. How's it going?"

"Great," they replied in unison, taking their seats in front of the other two.

Bertolt slipped out a book from his backpack and started to read, and doing that made Armin gasp as if he remembered something. The blonde jumped up from his seat and wrapped an arm around Bertolt's shoulder, earning a very surprised look.

Armin gestured to Eren as he said, "Bertolt, isn't it true that if he uploads his story online, people would love it?"

"Well... yes, it's very nice," the taller brunette replied quietly, flashing a small smile towards Eren. "I don't see why you'd keep it hidden,"

Eren folded his arms and growled, "You're my friend, that's why you're giving me a biased opinion,"

"He's an honest person, Eren!" Reiner cut in. "But he won't even let me read your story. I'm questioning both of you now,"

Bertolt blushed in embarrassment. "Y- You'd be too lazy to read all of it... it's very well written, so..."

"That's true," Armin added, choosing to ignore the scowl.

They continued to converse on various topics before the bell rang. Apparently, Reiner finally managed to get Bertolt to attend the Halloween dance this year. They were both on the basketball team, and every year, Reiner would attend the dances with the rest of the team while Bertolt stayed at home re-reading the same book series or doing homework. Annie, of course, rarely ever showed up unless she had someone to go with, and if Bertolt was going, then she may consider buying a ticket, as well. That also reminded Eren; he had to go with Armin to buy his ticket later on that day (preferably during lunch). Hopefully all goes well on Halloween. It's too bad they can only hope for that.


	7. Chance

**Note:** I gave all of you perverted fujoshi/fudanshi's a little treat, and look, the Riren finally picks up seven chapters in. Record time, people, give me a medal. I hope I don't bore you with this one. I'm sorry for the update being a few hours late. I was a bit caught up with an Eremika one-shot; a small 'gift' for a close friend of mine.

**Disclaimer:** The anime/manga characters mentioned here do not belong to me. Levi should have been L.

* * *

_**Chapter Seven: Chance**_

_(Halloween)_

_ Eren arched his back and cried out in ecstasy as Levi roughly thrust into his tight heat, his eyes fluttering shut with the sweet numbness that ran through his hips. He mewled as his knees were hooked over Levi's shoulders, his thighs burning almost painfully when Levi folded over him. The position was quite uncomfortable, but the pleasure of being filled by the raven made up tenfold for that. He shuddered when he felt a wet appendage lick the shell of his ear, rolling his hips and trying to concentrate on turning his thoughts into words._

_ 'L... Levi -'_

"- harder," he moaned, opening his eyes to catch a glimpse of Levi's hot and bothered look.

… but Levi wasn't there.

He sat bolt upright in his bed and looked around, trying to process the situation in his head. He was still in his own room, with his clothes still on his body and the dull pink-rose glow of dawn starting to shine through his curtains. He looked at the clock and sighed with disbelief – by the looks of it, he didn't even get three hours of sleep. The brunette groaned as he buried his face into his hands in embarrassment, slowly sinking back to his comfy bed. He couldn't believe himself for having a wet dream... about Levi. Oh, the disappointment. He was way too drowsy to even feel terrible in the situation. Although he was half asleep, his cock still pulsated with need in his boxers; without a second thought, he hesitantly slipped a hand under his shirt and ground his thumb over his nipple, his breath hitching at the minor pleasure. Without thinking, his other hand slithered past the elastic of his boxers and pulled out his fully hardened member to stroke.

He moaned quietly as he vigorously pumped his manhood, all the while pinching and pulling on his nipple. The thought that it was Levi touching him excited him all the more – he actually whimpered when he gave his nipple a rough tweak, the image of Levi's built figure and flushed cheeks clear in his mind. His drowsiness started to subside a bit as he stroked himself, his hand slightly constricting around the head of his cock and loosening a bit as it traveled back down to his base. He continued this process until he felt his lower abdomen burn with pleasure, and as he reached his climax, he removed his hand from his abused nipple to cover his mouth. He moaned into his hand as he felt the hot, sticky feeling of his semen shoot into his hand, the substance slowly dripping from his palm to his boxers. He let the high of his climax get the better of him, so he almost instantly knocked out with fatigue, ignoring the wet feeling on his hand and through the fabric of his underwear.

**o0o0o0o**

_(Later on that day)_

That could have been the most embarrassing moment of his life, but at least he didn't leave his door unlocked. If Mikasa pulled the covers off to wake him up and saw that his boxers were pulled down to his thighs and his hand was covered in a somewhat sticky substance (it probably dried by then, though), he would have suffocated himself with his pillow with sheer embarrassment. The only thing he could ask now was; Just what the actual _hell_ was that? After cleaning up, he got dressed and made his morning coffee, drinking an extra cup just for measure. He certainly didn't want to think about what happened – because, to his greatest embarrassment, his cheeks grew red at the very thought, and he couldn't trust himself. He might just get 'excited', and that's the very last thing he wants to do. But it's been too long since he's touched himself; his release in what felt like years was amazing. It dawned on him that it was Halloween, and he quickly searched for his phone to text Armin. Apparently, the blonde already messaged him an hour earlier.

_'Eren, empty your backpack or whatever, I'm bringing your costume today. Tell Levi that, too. If he's staying after school, drag him out of there and bring him back home. He's dressing up whether he likes it or not'_

Eren rolled his eyes and tucked his smart phone into his jacket, pouring a few spoonfuls of sugar into his coffee in the process. He heard the shuffling sound of footsteps behind him, and a couple of moments later, Mikasa showed up with very noticeable bags under her eyes. Eren greeted his sister with a hug and offered her some coffee, which she gladly accepted. They conversed on everyday topics, the usual comment about their father's whereabouts being thrown around at random. They left home shortly afterward, but it was quite a change since they weren't leaving so early in the morning like they usually did. It actually felt like a normal day.

Students were entering the school campus everywhere, and finding a good parking spot got a little harder that morning. Eren felt his heart skip a beat when he saw that Levi's spotless car was parked somewhere off to the corner; this morning would be different from the others, he just knew it. Mikasa left to go look for Sasha (which her adoptive brother snickered on the inside about), giving Eren the chance to roam freely. The first place he went to was the library to go look for Levi, but when he went to their usual corner, his eyes drooped – Levi wasn't there. Sighing in defeat, he turned to leave, but as he passed by a tall bookshelf, he immediately stopped in his tracks. He heard very familiar voices nearby him.

"He won't see you any differently. Seriously, you need to drop this shady act,"

"- It's for the better..."

"Levi, come on!"

"- One thing's for sure, if he figures this out, he'd hate me because I kept it from him,"

"Believe in his human nature,"

"- You don't know how fucking frustrating this is,"

Eren stepped around the bookshelf and stared at the two in disbelief. Standing there was Levi and Armin; Levi wearing a guilty look on his face and Armin pinching the bridge of his nose with frustration. They both cocked their heads towards Eren's direction and gasped at the serious look in his eyes. Levi ran a hand along the many bracelets on his wrists while Armin silently fumed to himself. Thank God there weren't any students nearby them, and the library being louder than usual was also a plus.

"... Levi? Armin?" he slowly approached them. "That conversation... it wasn't about me, was it...?"

"No," they promptly replied in unison.

"Both of you are horrible liars," Eren muttered coldly.

Levi was the first to speak; "Okay, maybe it was about you, brat, but what is there to it? It's a pointless -"

"- Why don't you say it to my face, then?!"

The sudden flare surprised them. Eren clenched his fists to his side and continued, "I'm tired of you acting like a shady piece of shit around me, you know that? What the hell's so important that you can't trust me with?"

"I do trust you -" Levi began, but he was cut off again.

"- Apparently not! What do you think I'll do, taunt you and push you away like -"

"- Eren, I'm gay,"

Coming out has never been easier. Armin slapped his forehead and hissed under his breath. The fact that Levi was gay clearly wasn't what they were talking about, but Eren was too blinded by his rage to see that. Eren sighed and turned his back on them, muttering a few incoherent sentences under his breath. Levi and Armin followed in suit, only to find their way back to the table in their corner. After calming himself down, the brunette stared out the window with a pleased grin on his face (because he knew that he may have a chance now), and Armin took this to his advantage. He whipped out his phone to hurriedly text something, and a couple of seconds later, Levi felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

He took out his phone and read; _'Why didn't you tell me you were gay? This is perfect!'_

This text earned him a rough kick to the shin that made him mewl in pain.

**o0o0o0o**

Luckily, the raven didn't stay after school to help setup the gym for the dance, so everything was going very smoothly. Eren returned home with Armin (after sending a text to Mikasa telling her where he'd be), and when they got there, he was greeted by Armin's grandfather. They don't usually talk, because like Eren's own father, he wasn't home as often as he should be. He treated the two teens to some of the candy that were going to be given out that evening, and hell, were they great. It wasn't everyday that you ran into a house that actually gave out good candy, but like Armin always said, candy is still candy, so that shouldn't be the problem. Eren could see clearly that Armin had been busy that whole time; fabric, sewing supplies, and reference pictures were scattered over his bedroom floor, some of the needles glistening brightly when the light was turned on.

Eren flopped down onto his friend's bed and sighed, absentmindedly rummaging through his backpack with one hand to find the costume that Armin gave to him during their art class. To his greatest surprise, it turned out very well; even if it was just the jacket to a suit and a tie, the complexity of such a simple item of clothing was great. The stitches were completely hidden, the arms were at the perfect length, and the fabric wasn't too rough, thin, or thick. He could tell that Armin spent his time with these costumes (he caught a small glimpse of the costume that was given to Levi that morning), and while his eyes swept across the finished piece, he saw Armin rummaging through his closet for something. Since he didn't bring any of his white dress shirts, Armin let him use one of his own, but they were both very different in sizes. He was very petite compared to Eren, but as long as the shirt buttoned up all the way, Eren will be fine.

While he scanned himself in the mirror (or rather, at the costume), he asked, "Armin, what was that all about earlier?"

Armin was currently picking up the leftover fabric from the floor. He looked up from his work with a confused tilt of the head. "Huh?"

Eren met his best friend's eyes through the mirror. "Did you always know that Levi was gay...?"

"Well, no, he came out to me this morning -" _(He turned away from Eren to hide his deception)_ "- He said he went through a lot of stuff when he was younger about it, so he asked for advice and I gave it to him,"

It hurts lying to Eren, but who knows, it may actually be true. The brunette leaned back against the wardrobe and sighed, idly readjusting the red tie. "I have a bad feeling..."

"Why? About Levi?"

"No, about the dance,"

He stood up from the floor after he stuffed the last piece of fabric into his bag, giving Eren a warm smile that comforted him greatly. "Hmph! If the shirt's too tight, I can ask my grandfather for one, sheesh!"

"God damn it, Armin," Eren laughed weakly. It was true, the shirt that was given to him was a bit too tight, but not uncomfortably so.

Eren took off the top half of his costume, but he didn't even bother taking off the dress shirt (he snickered at how the sleeves would end just below his elbows). He took the liberty to look over his novel on Armin's computer while the blonde started on his homework – it felt like the typical evening, just with the worry that something would go wrong in their cosplay. Not that they were expecting it to happen, though, because frankly, Armin was pretty damn good at sewing. As soon as he saw the clock on the computer screen strike five o'clock, his phone vibrated with a text. Armin was already trying on his costume in his own little corner and took no mind to this. His heart fluttered when he saw it was from Levi, and the text certainly didn't help the butterflies in his stomach.

_'Hunter, the dance starts at 5:30. Want me to pick you up?'_

_ '- yeah. I'm at Armin's house, think he can come along?'_

_ 'You don't have to ask me if it's Armin.'_

_ '- But at least I have the decency to ask, right?'_

_ 'Fucking brat.'_

Sure enough, at exactly five-twenty, the doorbell rang. The duo did a quick check for their costumes and to see if they had the bracelets needed to get into the dance (instead of handing in actual tickets, the school used certain bracelets). They hurried over to the living room, where Armin's grandfather was at the doorway, offering Levi a chocolate bar. Levi scratched the nape of his neck with embarrassment when his costume was complimented on, and he sighed with relief when he saw Eren and Armin. While Armin beamed with pride, Eren tried to hold back a snicker; he didn't think he'd ever see the raven wearing tights and boots in his life. Since it was just a school dance, they didn't wear makeup or bring any extra accessories, but that didn't matter. Armin was still very pleased of his work.

They arrived at the school about seven minutes later, which was filled with students – both lower and upperclassmen alike – coming in to the school campus to attend to the dance. Surprisingly, about seventy or eighty percent were wearing costumes. That was better than the previous year. Most of them were the cliched zombie or princess, but there was always the exception of an original costume from certain students. The gym, like every other dance, was eventually filled to the brim, with students dancing, drinking (juice or soda), or just sitting around and gossiping. The dance was going to last one hour; since Levi was a Junior, he had to attend to the food stands for the first thirty minutes of the dance with the rest of the upperclassmen in student government while the younger ones enjoyed their time. Eren and Armin met up with a couple of friends and sparked a very vivid conversation.

Sometime in between that conversation, Armin met up with Jean, who offered to buy him a soda. He gladly accepted, flashing an apologetic look towards Eren in the process. The brunette took no mind to this, and instead, he talked to Marco, who was dressing up as an angel (and people took the liberty of their friendship with him to call him freckled Jesus). At some point, he broke away to look for Levi and found himself in the corner where most of the supplies were being kept. Heavy crates of food and drink alike were stacked on top of the cabinets, all aligned with cheap Halloween stickers of black cats and pumpkins. He noticed that Mylius – a student with silver hair and a frightened look on his face – was standing next to cabinets, idly rubbing his forearm through the long black sleeve of his costume.

Eren remembered when he met Mylius. It was during their Freshmen year, when they were both lost and hopeless, and they helped each other get to their classes for the first week or two. Beyond that, they would only spark conversation in the lunch line or in between classes. He tried to greet the albino, but his voice was drowned out by the obnoxiously loud music and the chattering of excited students. He reached out a hand to grip his shoulder, but right before that happened, he saw Mylius look towards a specific direction and shake his head frantically. As soon as the brunette's hand came into contact with his shoulder, he flinched and practically jumped a mile, hitting the back of his head against the cabinet behind him.

Eren shouted his apology to be heard over the loud music, "Sorry! Didn't think that would scare you!"

"Don't w- worry about it, Eren, It's Halloween!" Mylius replied weakly, massaging his head and waving off the matter with an embarrassed blush.

In that instant, the cabinet squeaked weakly behind them. It took him a moment to process what was happening. The shaky cabinet couldn't handle the contact it made with Mylius' skull quite well, swaying dangerously as if it was trying to threaten him. Eren tried to warn him to get out of the way, but it was too late; the heavy crates above him tipped over and fell to the ground, and since the albino was in the way, his frail body was brought down with them. He let out a terrified scream that was muffled and came to a stop, along with the thundering of the crates hitting the floor. Eren let out a hoarse cry of surprise, but most of the noise was drowned out. However, the people that were nearest to them didn't fail to hear and see what happened. The dance was still going on, but the students around him gasped when they saw the pile of crates and slowly backed away to call for help.

God damn it. Eren felt angry tears well up in the corners of his eyes as he bolted the other direction. He didn't care where he was going, nor did he know where he was running to, but he finally got lucky for once and found the exit. He pushed the doors open and stumbled out of the gym, the sound of his ragged breathing finally reaching his ears. The dress shirt he wore was mildly constricting his ribs, and that made breathing just a tad bit harder than it should have been. His stomach felt very heavy and his legs shook dangerously underneath him, but that didn't stop him from running away from the scene. The distant sound of footsteps was heard behind him – his heart stung with fear at the fact that someone was chasing after him. His imagination got the best of him and thought that it was someone hunting him down for the murders he's committed.

He was proven wrong when he heard Levi's harsh voice; "Hunter, slow down!"

Before he reached the gate that allowed them off the campus, his wrist was caught in a firm hand and he was twisted back. At that instant, the tears of frustration and fear leaked out of the corners of his eyes.

"No!" he moaned, clawing at Levi's forearm in an attempt to get away.

He was pulled into a very tight embrace that took him by full surprise. He felt the raven's strong arms wrap around his shaking body, the sudden warmth making his crying get even worse. Eren still tried to struggle, knowing full well that the feeble attempt was futile. While he gripped Levi's forearms tightly as an attempt to wrench them off, he heard a pained hiss, and he also felt the smooth touch of rubber on his skin.

"I'm a c- curse, Levi!" he sobbed, angrily trying to push away from Levi, who's tight hold ceased to falter. "Let go of me! Levi, _let go_ -" at this point, his voice was starting to become hoarse; "- I'll end up k- killing you -"

His sentence ended with a very shaky whimper. It took him a moment to process the fact that there were soft lips pressed against his. He stopped his frantic clawing and let go of Levi's forearms, which made the raven exhale sharply through his nose. Eren's eyes were wide open with confusion and fear; his_ friend's_ face was very close to him, much too close. Levi broke away from the kiss and let go of the brunette, only to wrap his arms around his neck and embrace him tightly once more.

"Don't you ever call yourself a curse," Levi said, "I don't care if you accidentally drown a kitten, because in the end of the fucking day, I still like you for who you are,"

… Did he just hear that correctly?

"L- Levi," he gasped.

Levi pulled away from his neck and stared into Eren's bright green eyes. "I don't care if it sounds fucking cheesy. Don't make me repeat it again -" while he leaned in for another kiss, he added, "- you're anything but a curse, Eren,"

Their lips came into contact once more, and this time, Eren took the liberty to wrap his arms around the raven. Hearing his name roll off Levi's tongue comforted him greatly. The tears that were streaming down his face came to an eventual stop as the kiss continued on for some time. Levi was the first to break away – he continued to mutter reassuring words into Eren's ear. The brunette let out one final sob as he tightened the hold he had around Levi.

"Do you want me to drive you home?" Levi asked with a surprisingly soft voice.

"Please,"

**o0o0o0o**

They arrived at Eren's house, but they didn't exactly go inside. Levi parked his car along the sidewalk in front of the house, but neither of them moved to unbuckle their seat belts or even spoke. The tense silence was making Eren's anxiety get worse by the minute, and the raven could sense this. He sighed and ran his fingers through his neatly combed hair, showing his complete stress and confusion in that one simple action.

"Listen, brat..." Instead of making eye contact with Eren, Levi looked out the window and continued, "... about what happened back there..."

Eren chuckled darkly. "What, you just did it to cheer me up? What kind of sick person are you?"

"That's not true," he drooped his head a bit and said, "I just... I don't want to hurt you,"

"How would you hurt me?" Eren grit his teeth and flared, "Out of all the shady acts, you _finally_ think you're going to hurt me? The only thing that hurts is the fact that there's something wrong! I know there is, Levi, and knowing that I can't help you with whatever it is fucking hurts!"

"The problems I have in my life don't concern you. You're just nosy,"

"No, I'm not nosy, I just care! Is that too much for you to process?"

Levi shot a reproachful glare his way and growled, "Is it too much for _you _to process the fact that I'd fuck up and hurt you in the end?"

"You're hurting me by pushing me away now -" _(Eren swiftly unbuckled his seat belt and gripped Levi's shoulders)_ "- What is there for you to be worried about? I'm the one that's murdering all these people -"

"- You're not murdering anyone -"

"- Yes I fucking am! I'm a goddamn curse and killed the students that helped me through my teenage years, just like I killed my mom!"

The silence that followed his last sentence signaled him to continue; "If I wasn't a curse, my mom would have been alive right now. She told me to hurry up and call Dad for help, but my retarded self thought I could take care of her own my own! Do you know how much I fucking miss her, Levi? And how much it hurts knowing that I was the reason why she died?"

"Her death wasn't because of your ignorance,"

"I already know I'm ignorant! How can you even say that she didn't die because of me when you never saw what happened, Levi?!"

Levi gripped the collar of his shirt with one fist and forced him much closer. He hissed out with poison in his voice, "Fine then, brat, if you really want to think that you're a curse, then go right on ahead. Show up to school with a fucking gun and shoot me if you want to, I won't say no. But the shit that I've done in the past and the things that I've kept from you... you'd just look at me differently. You wouldn't even be interested in a relationship with me if I told you what I did,"

"Levi," he sighed as he felt the lingering tears start to resurface. "You're the one that saved me from those assholes and you're the only person that has accepted me for my sexuality and the things that I write. Not a lot of people do that anymore, and why? Because they're all retarded children that just _love_ to make someone's life miserable. You could have easily done that and pushed me away, but no, you stuck with me. _Why?_"

A mischievous grin formed on Levi's lips. "I already told you before, right? You're a brat – but not just any brat! An _interesting_ brat,"

Eren sniffled as he felt tears threaten to pour. "You're i- impossible,"

"Hey, don't cry on me now -" _(Levi released the hold he had on the brunette's collar and wiped the tears away with his own hand)_ "- I just don't want to see you cry again – or rather, cry because of me. I've hurt so many people, and the relationships I've had before were pure bullshit. I don't want you going through the same thing as I did,"

"It's worth it!" he insisted, his heart fluttering when Levi wiped the tears from his eyelashes with his thumb and resorted to cupping his face right afterward. "I just... if I really was one of those 'many' people, then I would have torn away from our friendship a long ass time ago. I'm willing to give this a chance. I seriously don't care if you hurt me, Levi! Isn't it true when they say that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger?"

Levi sighed with relief and leaned in for a kiss, slowly closing his eyes. "Fine then -" their lips were only centimeters away before he muttered, "Will you be my boyfriend?"

"You finally asked," Eren breathed.

Their lips met and locked like puzzle pieces. Eren felt his face smolder with blood as he felt Levi's hand leave his face to unbuckle his own seat belt. He absentmindedly whisked the belt away and pulled Eren onto his lap – it would have been uncomfortable since they were in such a close space, but the welcoming heat made up for that completely. They took no mind to the limited space and embraced each other tightly, with Levi's arms holding his new-found lover by the waist and Eren keeping his balance by having a loose hold around the raven's neck.

Levi broke away from the kiss and murmured, "Now actually kiss me, you brat,"

They moved their lips together in a slow dance as if going along with a smooth melody, sucking sweetly with every bit of affection they would care to muster up at that moment. Levi absentmindedly ran a hand along the brunette's back, tilting his head a bit further to mildly deepen the kiss. With a small sigh, Eren ran his fingers through Levi's surprisingly soft hair and added a bit more passion to the kiss, completely oblivious to everything around him. The way Levi rubbed his back, the way he'd suckle lightly on his plump lips, the very faint taste of coffee that lingered on his mouth... it was perfect.

Levi huffed with amusement as he pulled away, muttering against his lips, "Hunter, your phone's been buzzing the past couple of minutes,"

He let out a disappointed whine and slipped his phone out of his back pocket to check, and sure enough, Armin was calling him. Levi's eyes were still closed as he softly pecked the length of Eren's jawline. Eren answered the call and brought his phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

_"Where the hell are you?! You ran out like the Devil was after you!"_

"I'm at home, Armin," Eren played with Levi's hair in his hand as he muttered, "Well, kind of,"

_"You were talking with Mylius, right? Okay – I'm only telling you this so you're not freaking out – but no one thinks it was you this time. Everyone knows Mylius is a klutz, and you just happened to be nearby him when he knocked over those crates. Y- You know -"_ Armin hesitated for a moment before adding, _"- If the music wasn't so loud and people actually heard those crates fall over... someone would have helped Mylius before he suffocated..."_

Levi cracked an eyelid open and tightened his embrace when he heard his lover's tone falter a bit; "I know it wasn't my fault... but Mylius... I'm sorry to hear that about him..."

_"You sound like you just got in trouble for stealing a cookie! It's Halloween! Look, I'm really sad about Mylius and all, but really... vice-principle Erwin said that Pixis was going to look into fixing the broken cabinets and buying new ladders. That's a good thing!"_

Eren smiled and rolled his eyes, softly giggling when Levi started to nibble on his chin. "Armin... I need to tell you something,"

_"It better be good,"_

"What if I told you that Levi asked me out?"

_"And you said yes, right?!"_

"Mhm,"

Levi snickered when he heard a very excited and enthusiastic squeal radiate from the smart phone. Eren openly laughed at this and hung up the phone, throwing it on the passenger's seat and pecking Levi on the lips. They continued to give each other experimental kisses, with each kiss becoming a little less 'innocent' than the last, up to the point where Levi playfully nipped and suckled on his lower lip. This made Eren's blush intensify greatly, and this whole time, they didn't notice that Mikasa's car was parked in the driveway, nor did they notice the children gawk at them with disgust as they passed by his car.


	8. Dubious

**Note:** Well, holy shit, you guys have your Riren now. But I know my inner sadist will eventually take over on that pairing. Also, do any of my readers even know who the hell I've killed off so far? Do the names strike up a familiar image?

_I swear you guys are killing me with your reviews I just squeal and glitter and rainbows and and *w*_

**Disclaimer:** The bands mentioned in this chapter do not belong to me. The phone case is a Koujaku (DRAMAtical Murder) phone cover I found on Google.

* * *

_**Chapter Eight: Dubious**_

The first half of the fist week of November seemed to flow by very easily. The one thing that Eren found really weird (but he still didn't mind it) was the fact that Levi couldn't stop touching and kissing him. No, not in a sexual way; in a somewhat romantic way. There wasn't a moment where Levi wouldn't play with Eren's hair, kiss him on the cheek, or absentmindedly rub circles on his lover's knuckles with his thumb. Eren wasn't exactly the romantic type, so he usually wouldn't know what to do in that sort of situation, but for some unknown reason, he reacted as if it was a natural thing. Since the mornings started to get very cold, he started to snuggle into the raven's side, sometimes even falling asleep on his shoulder. The day after Halloween seemed to be very awkward (in a sense); Armin wouldn't stop squealing over the two, and Eren was afraid of kissing Levi in public, thinking that he'd somehow ruin the raven's 'popularity' or 'status'.

That was a very stupid thought, though. While Eren worried about ruining something for his lover, Levi hid his affections because he thought that Eren wasn't comfortable. So in the privacy of their own little corner in the mornings and after school, he'd be very romantic and affectionate, but outside that, he showed nothing. The unneeded complications made things hard for the both of them. They were both insecure, but no one knew (except for Armin, who seemed to be able to read people's minds by the amount of times he's figured something out on his own). There was an upcoming physics test for all three of them, and in order to get a minute or two to talk to Levi alone, Armin sent Eren out to find a couple of books for them to study out of. The brunette disapproved greatly, but he left anyways, searching through the furthest bookshelves where most of the class-related books were kept.

Levi pulled on his bracelets and played with them, folding one leg over the other and resting his forearm on the table. Armin took a seat next to him and hugged his backpack, still trying to process the things he was going to say now. The raven gave him a questioning look before saying a comfortable 'good morning', which Armin happily responded to with a smile.

Armin hesitated for a moment before he asked, "You and Eren... you guys are together now, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well... you know how hardheaded Eren can be," Armin dropped his backpack to the ground and continued, "He's been wanting to kiss and hug you in public, but he's scared that he'd ruin something for you. Status or whatever you call it. That's not true, is it...?"

Levi bit his lip with confusion and answered, "I can give less of a damn what other people think of me. Isn't Eren uncomfortable with showing his affections in front of other people?"

Armin snorted. "As if! He's a really fluffy person when he wants to be, trust me! But seriously... I'm his best friend, and I don't want to see him agonizing over what-ifs and stupid thoughts like that. He wants you to romance him, places outside of the library's privacy, but he's just too stubborn to admit it,"

Levi stared at his bracelets for a moment before muttering, "... You sure about that, kid?"

"Positive!"

Levi propped his elbow on the leg that was folded over the other and rest his head on the palm of his hand. "Well, damn, I feel stupid now,"

Armin patted his back and sighed, "It's all right. I just want you two to be comfortable with each other in public, not hiding your relationship. Sorry if I'm too nosy, I guess. It's Thursday today, Levi. It's the end of the week and people are ready for the worst, so get on out there and shower Eren with kisses before he gets to class,"

"That sounds so fucking cheesy," he groaned.

"So what if it's cheesy? He'd like that!"

By the time Eren had returned with an armful of books, Armin was giggling and taunting a fuming Levi. He questioned this, but the blonde merely winked at him and scampered off to the distance where he met up with Jean. Eren rolled his eyes and dropped the stack of books on the table, complaining about Armin leaving right when he brought all of the sources they needed. Levi ignored his complaints and pulled Eren onto his lap, incoherent croons issuing from the back of his throat as he pressed quick kisses to his wrist. Eren raised an eyebrow with suspicion at this sudden display of affection, but he welcomed it with open arms. He saw Annie just a bookshelf away, placing the book in her hand back in its place. Eren called for her and asked her to put the books back as a favor, which she accepted, saying something about it being her job and to not worry about it. She gave the two a very faint smile and wished them good luck in their relationship, which forced a flustered blush to Eren's cheeks.

When the bell rang, Levi took Armin's advice and walked Eren to class, though they weren't exactly touching in any way possible. The raven's class was downstairs from Eren's (but just a few classrooms off to the left), so walking him to class shouldn't be such a big deal. The door was wide open, and right when Eren said his goodbyes, Levi gripped his hand and kissed his cheek (but he had to stand on the tips of his toes to do so). Eren's heart fluttered excitedly in his chest, and before he could stop himself, he sweetly pressed his lips against the raven's in a soft kiss. Several students whispered excitedly to each other when they saw the two while a couple of others gagged, and after a quick moment or two, they reluctantly pulled away from each other.

Before Eren could catch himself, he dreamily sighed as he watched Levi make his way down the stairs. He yelped when he felt a hand smack him on the back as if praising him for something. The yelp gained Levi's attention momentarily, only to see that it was Jean.

"Don't worry, Eren! I support you one hundred percent, you bastard!" Jean said with a playful shove to the shoulder, quickly disappearing into the class before Eren could smack him.

Levi rolled his eyes when he saw the brunette cross his arms and silently fume with embarrassment.

**o0o0o0o**

_(Later on that day)_

_ (After school; 3:30 PM)_

Armin watched as Ryuzaki crouched down low on the carpet, his eyes narrowing dangerously before he pounced on the stuffed animal in front of him. He mewled as he batted at the toy, his ears up and alert with excitement. Armin threw a stray roll of thread that was on his counter, making Ryuzaki's tail flick this way and that with curiosity. Armin curled onto his side on the bed and absentmindedly ran a thumb across the smooth surface of his phone case, admiring the pink roses and bright red background. He was waiting for Levi to text him back, his impatience taking toll on his already dwindling interest. He clucked his tongue as he unlocked the phone, quickly going to the message box and scrolling through the conversation he had with Levi not too long ago.

_'Just how the hell do you know this?'_

_ '- It's easy to look through the yearbooks, Levi. I'd be more careful if I were you.'_

_ 'Are you threatening me?'_

_ '- No, I'm just saying that sooner or later, Eren will find out for himself. Why don't you tell him now?'_

_ 'You're an idiot if you think I'm doing that.'_

_ '- An idiot that figured out one of your little 'secrets' with the use of a school library. Tell me... what's so bad about Eren finding out?'_

After that text, he received nothing. The last text had been sent right after school, which was about an hour ago, and he still gained no reply. He didn't like being ignored. Ryuzaki swiftly jumped onto the bed and trotted to Armin's side, proudly propping himself up on his owner's hip with his front paws as if presenting himself. The blonde absentmindedly scratched the underside of Ryuzaki's chin, the cat's chest rumbling lowly with a pleased purr. Just as he gave up and turned to embrace his beloved companion, his smart phone let out a shrill beep, signaling that he received a text massage. Ryuzaki curiously climbed over Armin's body and playfully batted at the phone, earning a giggle from his owner. Armin brushed the cat aside and checked his text message, his eyes widening when he saw the text he received.

_'What's so bad is that he'll see me differently. I'm already fucked up enough as it is, especially by using my bracelets as a shitty replacement for bandages.'_

Armin sighed and started on his reply, idly watching through the corner of his eye as the cat jumped off his bed and scampered off to explore the closet. _'- Talk to him already. I'll drop the subject, but only because I know you're too stubborn to say yes. That doesn't mean that I have the right to tell him, though. It'll come back later to haunt you without my help, and you'll need to explain a lot of things to your boyfriend. I don't want to see things coming up later down the road of your relationship because of it, but Eren's a really understanding person... sometimes.'_

Another ten minutes went by before Levi messaged him back; _'I'll have to worry about that when it comes to bite me in the ass, then. You're really smart compared to the average brat. I wonder why I'm not running into any other kids like you and Eren.'_

_ '- That's a good thing. Eren wouldn't want you finding another interesting brat, now would he?'_

_ 'Fucking smart ass.'_

**o0o0o0o**

"You're drinking coffee this late, Eren?"

Eren stared at the clock across from them and rolled his eyes. "I have six whole hours before I go to bed, so no worries,"

Mikasa sighed at how lighthearted her brother was being. She rummaged through the kitchen to find a pan so she could start cooking dinner while Eren drunk his coffee at the dining table. The brunette played with his flash drive in his hand while he took small sips of his coffee, staring as the hands on the clock slowly made their way around. Just as he finished his drink, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," he said to Mikasa, who was looking through the refrigerator.

His stomach kept twisting and turning excitedly at the thought that Levi was at the door. Levi – his _boyfriend_. That sounded so right. He's never been this happy before about someone coming over. Sure enough, when he opened the door, Levi was standing at the doorstep with the usual 'concerned' furrow in his brow. His look softened at the sight of Eren and he greeted him with a quick peck to the lips.

"So, brat? Are you letting me in or making me stay outside for the rest of the evening?"

Eren blushed at this and let him in, locking the front door behind them. Mikasa muttered something about dinner being ready in thirty minutes or so while they made their way to the brunette's room. As soon as they were in the privacy of Eren's room, Levi openly yawned and flopped down on his bed. Although he was careful not to severely wrinkle the sheets, he pillowed his head in his hands, absentmindedly kicking his foot to the beat of a song playing in his head. His lover laughed at this and sat down on the computer chair, plugging in his flashdrive and shooting an amused look towards Levi.

"You're tired already? So much for editing tonight," Eren said with a dramatic pout.

Levi rolled his eyes and stretched for a bit. "Did Armin go over it yet?"

"Yeah, he did," the brunette opened the file and added, "He wasn't sure about something towards the end of the chapter, so he wanted you to read it to make sure it was correct,"

Levi sighed as he replaced Eren on the computer seat, scrolling up the document to start from the beginning of the chapter. While he read through its contents, he absentmindedly said, "You know... it'd be so much easier if Armin and I were together when editing the chapters, but the last time we tried that, you -"

"- It wasn't my fault!" the brunette cut in with a highly flustered expression, the events of their last meet up flashing vividly in his mind despite his almost overwhelming mortification.

"_Sure_ it wasn't,"

Eren pushed his embarrassment aside for a moment to process the statement in his head (and thankfully, Levi dropped the subject). He started to scroll through his phone when he suggested, "Well, you could go over to Armin's house or something if you want. I don't think he'd mind,"

"I'll text him later about it," Levi turned away from the computer screen and asked, "Are you sure you don't mind? About me going over to your friend's house, I mean,"

"What? Why should I care? It's not like I suspect you two, nor will I ever have the reason to,"

Levi rolled his eyes and went back to reading. "You're really lighthearted, you know that, Hunter? I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing,"

About forty minutes later, Eren dozed off on his bed, his phone loosely held in his hand. Levi went over the chapter multiple times to make sure it was correct (but he'd still have to get Armin's approval), and when he was done, he saved and closed the file. He decided to leave the flash drive where it was and left the desk, expecting to see Eren watching with a bored expression. Levi stopped at the foot of his bed and sighed; the peaceful look Eren had on his face was just so _beautiful_. The brunette lay on his back, giving Levi the chance to carefully crawl onto the bed and climb onto his lover. Levi straddled Eren's lap and rest his forearms above his head, pressing sweet open-mouthed kisses to his cheeks and forehead.

Eren muttered something as he snapped out his daze, a flustered blush forming on his cheeks when he saw that Levi was on top of him. He wrapped his arms around the raven's neck and playfully pecked at his lips.

Levi grinned and said, "I can't believe you're tired,"

"I'm not even tired!"

"Prove it,"

Eren skillfully wrapped his arms around Levi's waist and rolled him off. They switched positions; Eren was seated comfortably between his lover's legs, grinning cheekily at him. "I told you,"

"Think you've won, you little shit?"

Levi pushed him backwards with one playful shove, a grin forming on his lips as he wrestled Eren back down to the bed. The brunette's hands were pinned above his head, his body jolting when he felt a hand slide up his shirt. His lover's fingers ran up and down his abdomen with quick prods and caresses, the sudden tickling sensation making Eren giggle and squirm. He cried out Levi's name in protest, gasping for much needed air as tears of laughter built up in the corners of his eyes. Levi's hold slightly loosened on his wrists, and he took this chance to slip out his hold and push him off to the side. Eren's stomach burned with how hard he had been laughing, his shirt pulled up halfway to reveal his abdomen. Their legs entangled as their hands gently shoved and pushed, with Levi grinning at how happy Eren sounded at the moment.

Levi kissed Eren's forehead as he rolled him off to the side, but they were way too close to the edge of the bed for that to turn out well. The brunette gasped as he felt a sudden chill run down his spine, his instinct telling him that there wasn't anything there to support him. He pulled his lover down with him; they both hit the carpeted floor with a dull thud, a small giggle leaving Eren's lips at the playful sneer he received from his lover. Eren untangled their legs and reluctantly crawled away, but as soon as he rolled onto his back, the raven pounced on him and pinned him to the ground. Levi growled playfully as he nipped at his lips, and right when he was about to actually kiss him, the bedroom door opened and revealed Mikasa.

"Dinner's ready -"_ (Mikasa's tone slightly faltered when she saw the two)_ "- if you're hungry,"

Levi and Mikasa glared at each other for a moment before she added with a dangerously monotonous voice, "Levi, are you staying?"

Levi flashed his lover a questioning look, who nodded in response. "Yeah, why not?"

"I'll set up another chair then," she said bitterly, walking away from the room without bothering to close the door behind her.

The raven sighed in irritation and pulled himself away from Eren, ignoring the disappointed whine. He won't deny that he enjoyed their little 'fight'; it's been way too long since he's had so much fun, especially with another person.

**o0o0o0o**

Their dinner was very quiet and tense, and Eren started to ponder over the reasons why the two couldn't stand each other. Was it that they were competing over something, they had some sort of rivalry, or did they just come off on a bad start? He remembers the story Levi told him of how Mikasa accused him of being someone she was familiar with, but he didn't exactly tell him about when they first met. Maybe they just didn't get along from the start? Levi left with a curt 'thank you' (though he hardly ate anything), and he didn't even bother hugging or kissing his lover goodbye. This bothered him a bit. As soon as the front door closed, Mikasa's posture softened.

"Eren..." she gave the confused green eyes a slightly apologetic look. "... be careful,"

"What's so wrong about him?" Eren flared at his adoptive sister, watching as she tucked her chin into her scarf. "You two have been acting like that since day one! What the fuck, Mikasa?! What went on between you two that made you hate each other?"

"... It doesn't concern you now..." Mikasa replied, her usual monotonous voice cracking with emotion for just a split second. "You're happy with _him_, right? Hmph... I just hope you're enjoying your time,"

"Mikasa!" he practically shrieked, his fists clenched to his sides with frustration and anger.

She merely shook her head and went back into the kitchen to clean the dishes. Mikasa ignored every question that was shot her way, her figure starting to crack with guilt; she loved her brother and cared for him, but this may be the only thing that she won't be able to protect him from. Eren loudly groaned in defeat and stomped into his room, angrily slamming the door and typing the rest of his frustration away into his novel. Oh yes... the newest chapter he's working on will be extremely gory, and listening to a couple of songs by Suicide Silence and Six Feet Under would help a lot with that. The fact that he poured his frustrations out into a document like that brought a soft tinge of mortification somewhere in his being, but he pushed that aside as his fingers swiftly ran across the keyboard. Letting different types of songs effect how his writing comes out as wasn't exactly a good or bad thing. He needed to crack the dubious act from the both of them – sooner rather than later.

**o0o0o0o**

_(Next week)_

_ (Thursday; Morning, fifty minutes past eight)_

While Eren shoved his backpack into his locker, Levi leaned back against his own with his arms folded above his chest. The brunette was having minor trouble getting his backpack to fit in the locker, but after a few good shoves, it finally fit (but getting it out of the locker was another problem). This was the everyday morning in their PE class; Levi waiting patiently for Eren to lock his things away. They were all wearing their PE uniform, but no one wore accessories to go with it (usually the girls would have extra items like necklaces). Levi could have been the only Junior in their entire PE class (or rather, the entire period) that wore bracelets that would cover his entire forearm, starting from his wrist and ending just below his elbow.

Various teachers would scold him for wearing so many wristbands, but he'd ignore them and move on. They'd usually threaten to do things like send him to the office, but his only reply would be; 'I didn't think you'd have so much troubles with a student that's probably twice as young as you.' The way Levi would sass his teachers and get away with it made his lover gawk in disbelief, while other students questioned how he does it. Their PE teacher, Keith Shadis, was very fond of scolding Levi for the bracelets he wore, and this morning was no different from any other. While Keith made a fuss over the raven's bracelets, Eren pinched the bridge of his nose and waited for his lover at the door. The whispers that were being thrown around behind his back caught his attention;

"Isn't that kid gay?"

"Why the fuck does he change with us, then?"

"Isn't he going out with Smith or something?"

"As if Levi would sink as low as _him_!"

Eren groaned inwardly at this and clenched his jaw shut so he wouldn't burst with anger and insult them right back, though the light throbbing in his temple didn't help that situation. Right when he was about to snap at them, Levi returned to him, his face now reverted back to its unimpressed mask. He instantly understood the situation when he saw various boys giving them reproachful looks, and to disgust them further, he pressed a quick kiss to Eren's cheek. The fists Eren formed at his sides relaxed at this, and he secretly praised Levi for calming him when he did.

Since the morning was actually nice, the teachers all decided to play either baseball or soccer. To Eren's disappointment, Keith chose baseball for his class, while the other classes enjoyed their time indoors playing soccer with hand-picked teams that were made up at the last minute. Their second period could have been interesting. Since Keith took no actual interest in the game, he let the students decide on what they would do with the baseball equipment while he took a seat in the nearby benches. Sadly, Eren wasn't in the same team as Levi; not that it bothered him, but the thing that did bother him was the fact that Levi and Mikasa were in the same team. This may not turn out well.

Both of the ravens were sent to the furthest corner of the field (since they can easily catch the ball if it went too far and throw it back), but the field itself was very small, so it was possible to make conversation with people at first base if they raised their voice. Eren watched with anxious eyes as Levi tried to make conversation.

"... Hey,"

Mikasa gripped her scarf and replied, "... Hello..."

While the class started the game, Levi payed minor attention to the students nearby them and continued in an attempt to keep the conversation going; "There's a student government meeting after school next week, right?"

"On Tuesday," she replied quietly, tucking her chin into her scarf and removing the glove from her hand. While she gave the worn glove a mildly skeptical look, she thought for a moment and added with a dark tone, "Have you heard from Farlan or Isabel lately?"

Levi's eye twitched with major disapproval. Despite the dangerous change of atmosphere, he raised an eyebrow at her and questioned 'innocently', "Who?"

She ignored this completely. There was a pregnant silence before Mikasa dropped the glove in her hand. With an embarrassed blush, she crouched down to retrieve the glove, but she instantly stopped and narrowed her eyes with anger when she heard Levi say, "Mikasa, watch out,"

"Is that a threat?" she snapped viciously, not bothering to look up from the ground.

The sudden movement made her flinch to protect herself, her muscles tensing as she prepared to retaliate. She let out a small gasp when she saw that Levi was standing right in front of her with his back towards her, his posture hunched as he tried to hold in a pained groan. Mikasa also saw a baseball roll off a few inches in front of him. Apparently, someone had accidentally sent a baseball towards Mikasa's way, and Levi managed to shield her... but that was a mistake, considering the fact that instead of hitting his stomach or chest, it made awful contact with his groin. The thin material of their PE shorts doesn't offer much 'protection'. She knew that would hurt for awhile, and that fact pleased her.

Off in the distance, they heard Bertolt (who was holding the bat) apologize as Reiner snorted loudly with laughter. "I'm s- so sorry about that, Levi!"

Keith's angry voice was heard from the benches: "Run the track, Hoover!"

Levi merely straightened his back and glared at Bertolt with the deadliest eyes he's ever had in a long time. If looks could kill, Bertolt would have dropped dead that instant. He could have sworn that the impact the baseball made with his groin promised to keep him barren for the rest of his life. While Bertolt scampered off to run the track, Levi threw the ball back and ignored the students that were snickering with amusement. He was trying his hardest to avoid all eye contact with Mikasa, and Eren, too, who was grinning in the distance.

After a small pause, Mikasa said, "That looked like it hurt,"

"Fuck," Levi finally groaned in pain through gritted teeth, earning a very pleased smirk from the other raven.

* * *

**Extra Note:** To all my curious readers that hate me for Levi's shady act; I'll reveal one of his secrets soon. Six chapters, promise. Or five, I think... we'll see. But Mikasa and her witchery... _that_ will have to come in later.


	9. Virus

**Note:** Yes, Dead or Alive Xtreme 1 and 2 are just fanservice games, but I love playing them anyways. It hurts me whenever I write in the harassment (mostly towards Eren), but I only do it because I need something besides the murders to drag out Levi's possessive/protective nature (because frankly, they have very little effect on him). Please bear with me. Also, my character deaths are really mild so far... I'm not sure if I should warn you about chapter ten or not.

**Disclaimer:** The video games, movies, game consoles, restaurants, and brands mentioned in this chapter do not belong to me.

* * *

_**Chapter Nine: Virus**_

A ton of people were starting to catch a bug going around, and Levi was one of those many unfortunate students. The raven spent his morning curled up in his seat in the library, shivering from how cold it was both outside and inside, his face very ashen to the point where he resembled a ghost. Eren insisted on taking him to the nurse's office, but he simply refused to do so – according to him, a 'piece of shit virus' wasn't going to stop him from attending school. He seemed to react very slowly to everything around him; it even took Eren a minute or two of calling his name for him to sleepily respond. The drugs he had been taking for his illness hit him pretty hard, no doubt. Eren lead a very drowsy Levi about ten minutes early to his first period classroom, kissing him goodbye on the cheek and retreating to his own class upstairs.

Numerous students were shivering in their coats as they scurried into the classrooms to get away from the extremely cold weather outside, silently thanking their teachers for letting them in a few minutes early. The bell didn't even ring yet, but most of the students left to the warmth of their first period classrooms, so the school day might as well start now. Eren waited patiently for the bell to ring, debating whether to spark conversation with Bertolt, who looked very lonely in his own little corner. Bertolt switched classes a couple of weeks back since he left the school band, so instead of having his first period for Band and his last period for his math class, they switched, and now he had an extra class with Eren. The only thing that sucked about the change was that Bertolt had PE at the end of the day. No one would want that. Instead, he left Bertolt to continue reading his book, turning to Tom and Franz who were conversing right behind him.

"Morning," Eren greeted.

Both Franz and Tom looked up at him and smiled. "Morning, Eren!"

"Wait, there's a test today?" Eren asked with a gasp when he saw the two looking over a couple of notes. "How did I not know this?!"

"No, it's tomorrow," Franz answered, snickering at the highly relieved sigh.

Eren saw a cup of coffee sitting on the desk with the name 'Tom' written on it in a messy scribble. "Just great, you even went to Starbucks without me,"

Franz rolled his eyes and playfully shoved the student next to him that had a crop of black hair. "I know, right? Tom, you lucky bastard,"

Tom took a sip from his coffee, smirking at the envious looks they gave him.

"By the way, you guys..." Franz looked around and flipped out his phone, beckoning them over to a different location. They followed, and when they were relocated to a less crowded area, he showed them his phone and continued, "... It's almost Christmas, and I don't know what to get Hannah this year. I was thinking of buying a dress for her,"

The picture of Hannah, a girl with brown hair and matching brown eyes, was seen through the bright screen of the phone; Hannah was Franz's girlfriend, and the picture showed her wearing a black dress that accentuated her smooth shoulders and her slender waist. There was a gray belt around the middle that wrapped around her waist, allowing the dress to line with the curve of her delicate hips and fan out into two layers, the longest one stopping just under her knees. She was also wearing a very embarrassed blush on her face, but even so, she stood in a confident pose in front of what looked like a dressing room.

"She put this on yesterday," he explained, "She didn't have the money to actually buy it, but I have more than enough right now. What do you guys think?"

Tom raised a brow at this and asked, "It's too cold out to be wearing that, isn't it? Wouldn't you have to get something to go underneath that? Tights or whatever?"

"I don't know, where do I find tights? Don't all girls have them already?" Franz sighed, tucking his phone away. "I guess I'll just have to look into that, too..."

Eren coughed into the back of his hand to hide a laugh. "I swear, you two are one of the cutest couples around. I bet you anything Hannah's going through a lot of shit trying to find you something awesome this year,"

A flustered blush formed on Franz's cheeks as he said, "Yeah, thanks, Eren. What're you getting your boyfriend?"

Before he could respond, Tom snorted, "Chances are he'll come to us for help on that the day before winter break,"

"D- Don't talk about me like I'm not here!" the brunette retorted, silently fuming when they both laughed at him.

At that moment, the bell rang, and the rest of the shivering students quickly poured into the classroom, all sighing in relief that the warmth brought them. They all returned to their seats, and Eren could have sworn he heard Bertolt snore into his book.

**o0o0o0o**

When class was over, the students reluctantly stepped out into the frigid weather, all complaining to each other about how boring school was and how much it sucked that they had to show up on such terrible days. Eren stayed back a bit when he saw that Tom was lagging behind the entire crowd, mumbling something under his breath with a thin layer of sweat on his forehead. When they reached the staircase, Tom groaned and nearly doubled over, but he stumbled back to his feet. Most of the students ignored him since they were too cold and wanted to get to their other class as soon as possible. The staircase was already empty, and there were only a few students waiting outside their classes. It wouldn't be long before everyone else caught up and used the staircase to get to their second period class, and that would only make things worse.

Eren reached a hand out and gripped Tom's shoulders. "Hey man, you all right? I can walk you to the nurse's office,"

"N- Nah... I just... I'm... I- I'm..."

Tom trailed off into a soft mumble as he idly walked down the first few steps. Eren thought that he was just catching the bug, as well, and let go of his shoulder, but as soon as that happened, hell occurred; Tom's eyes rolled to the back of his head as his legs gave out under him, and before Eren could catch him, his body fell down the flight of steps, the rigid edges of the staircase making the entire fall look very painful. The few students around them gasped while a few girls uttered small screams – as soon as Tom reached the foot of the staircase, there was a deafening crack, and all Eren saw before he turned away was the very disgusting angle that his friend's neck was bent into. Teachers hurried to the scene and ushered all of the students away, yelling at them to get to class. The brunette quickly walked (but he was nearly running at this point), and he noticed that there were many sets of disgusted eyes staring right at him. The heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach didn't help him at all.

**o0o0o0o**

By fourth period, Eren heard all of the bullshit that was flying about; rumors about him pushing Tom down the staircase went around like the damned plague. The only thing that interrupted his thoughts was when he met Armin outside his fourth period classroom; Armin was whining about dying of dehydration between heavy pants, his face slick with sweat and his hair somewhat frizzy. This wasn't new – running the mile in PE is the only thing Armin would ever have trouble with in school. Eren spent his English class blankly staring at his textbook, his face burning with frustration, anger, and despair alike. This time, he didn't have his lover to comfort him. As soon as Rico gave them classwork and returned to her own desk, most of the students started to socialize and play on their phones, all except Levi, who took the time to sleep on Eren's shoulder. While the brunette mentally abused himself with thoughts about being a curse and the memory of his dying mother, Levi mumbled a couple of things in his sleep, the furrow in his eyebrows deepening over time. Most of those mumbles contained various names (like 'Kenny' or 'Farlan', if he heard correctly), but most of them were unfamiliar.

Eren closed his eyes while he massaged his temples, groaning angrily under his breath, "God damn it... what's wrong with me? Ugh... _fuck!_"

"Brat?" the raven muttered with a slurred voice, slowly resurfacing from his somewhat comfortable nap. "Are you all right, kid? It's really c- cold..."

Eren wrapped his arms around Levi and sighed into his hair with a hoarse voice, "You wouldn't believe it if I told you,"

"Just try me," he yawned.

The brunette told him about what happened so far in the day; about Tom suddenly collapsing at the top of the staircase and cracking his neck in half when he reached the bottom, about Armin nearly 'dying' in PE, about the many students that were starting to whisper behind his back and accuse him of being a murderer. During lunch, the people in their group (including Jean, which surprised him greatly) comforted him and told him that it was just a coincidence that he happened to be nearby Tom when it happened. Most of the students believed that Eren was the soul reason why students have been dying in the worst ways possible, all but the people whom he regularly speaks to knew that he wasn't a curse at all. Eren held a [very puny] reputation with a fair number of people; he helped them with a ton of things, and they swore that they owed him favors, but he brushed off all of those types of concerns. This was a good thing.

As Levi reluctantly pulled away from Eren's warmth and rubbed his eyes, he grumbled, "Those stupid brats can kiss my ass. Don't listen to them, Hunter, they're full of shit, and don't you dare call yourself a curse again,"

"You know... if you still feel like shit after school, you don't have to drive..."

Levi snorted and said, "Then who's taking you home? If I'm still fucked up by sixth period, I'll text Armin. Don't worry about it so much,"

Eren sighed with relief when his lover weaved their fingers together and gave his hand a firm, reassuring squeeze. He softly nuzzled into Levi's hair and pressed a quick kiss to his temple, grinning when his lover mumbled something under his breath before kissing him on the cheek. A flustered blush formed on his cheeks when he heard the girls seated behind them squeal at the sight, and when he tried to pull away, Levi's embrace tightened with a devious smirk. The raven pressed a kiss to Eren's forehead, and to his greatest embarrassment, their classmates' squealing intensified.

**00o0o0o**

The final bell rang and he didn't hear from Levi, nor did he see the raven waiting for him just outside the door like he usually did. Eren decided to wait for him at the student parking lot despite the frigid weather and the pale gray sky above them. However, while he passed the gates that lead into the parking, he felt the back of his neck prickle, followed shortly by a perturbed shiver. He trusted his instincts more than enough by now to know that this reaction wasn't a good thing. The parking was still quite empty since he was one of the first students to hurry out of the building, and if there were people around him, they didn't bother speaking up.

His only mistake he made was not running away then and there; someone called his name (accompanied with the usual profanity), and not too long after he turned around, he saw two students scowling at him. They both had matching brown hair (though one of them had longer hair than the other), and they both seemed to be very well built. He couldn't deny that this intimidated him. They were around the same height, with only one male shorter than his companion and Eren, but the threat was just as great. But who knows, maybe those past training sessions with Levi helped him. Now _could_ be the time to test them out, but getting a ticket for fighting with other students isn't really what he wanted (he was lucky to get out of trouble when he fought with Jean).

Eren turned to walk away, but his wrist was caught in one of their firm hands; "Why don't you talk to us for a minute, Jaeger?"

"Let go!" the brunette snapped, jerking his wrist out of the student's hold and stepping back a bit to create some sort of distance from them. "What do you want from me? I already told you shits before, I'm not the one that's murdering those people!"

The taller of the two took two long strides forward and shoved Eren's chest, grinning as the brunette stumbled back a bit. "Running your big mouth isn't going to get you really far, will it? Killing off our friends won't do so much, either, and we're willing to give you that example,"

Just as he was about to shove Eren again, his forearm was caught in another person's hand and he was violently pushed back. His companion caught him before he fell to the ground, growling in disapproval and cracking his knuckles. Eren gasped when he saw that Levi was shielding him from the other two, his posture very tense and his knuckles whited with how tight he was clutching his fists. When the hell he showed up or how he could move so fluidly despite being ill was a mystery. Levi's hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat, and his face was still chalk white, but that didn't stop him from protecting his lover.

"Touch him one more time," Levi growled dangerously, his eyes narrowed and darkened to a treacherous pitch. "I fucking _dare_ you,"

As soon as the two students raised their fists, a familiar voice was heard in the distance; "Is there a problem, boys? Can you handle it or do I have to come over there myself?"

They saw that Erwin was watching them with an amused spark in his eyes, his arms crossed loosely over his chest. The other two students immediately shrunk down to size and replied with feeble apologies, giving both Levi and Eren murderous looks before scampering back to the hole they crawled out of. As soon as Erwin went back to directing students off campus, Levisighed and slumped forward a bit, rubbing his temples to help lessen the throbbing pain of his headache. Eren saw that Armin was a few feet behind them, clutching his binder to his chest with a very concerned look. As soon as they were in Levi's car, Armin scolded Eren for going off on his own, who complained about them showing up a bit too late. The blonde did the same to Levi, even if he was only half conscious.

Armin didn't mind missing the bus to drive them home. Even if the bus driver wouldn't have cared if Levi and Eren joined him on the bus, he pushed that fact away and drove them to Eren's house (since it was closest). Eren sat in the front with Armin while his lover rest his head on the cold glass in the back seat, his fever starting to rise over time as the effects of his medicine wore off. Sometime on their way home, Eren received a text from Mikasa saying that she was going to be working late that day at her part-time job. Since it was the season, she was starting to get time off towards the end of the week, and thankfully, it was the first Tuesday of December. However, as soon as Christmas leaves, she'd have to start working her regular shifts every day again, having only the weekends off. At least she got home around dinnertime (they ate later now since she'd return home from work around six).

The house was very quiet. Armin explored the cabinets in the kitchen to look for an old medicine bottle, and thankfully, since Eren's father worked in the medical field, he found a bottle filled with pills that dealt with pain and fever. This would ease the sore throat and headache and would drop the heat of the fever for now. They knew it may not be safe, but given the circumstance, it didn't matter. Armin quickly skimmed through the instructions before he gave Levi two tablets, who instantly complied. The blonde scurried off into the house to find extra blankets while Levi and Eren snuggled in his bed. Levi yawned as he wrapped his arms around Eren's waist, pulling him into a very loving embrace, robbing his lover of his body heat.

His back was turned to the door, which was still wide open from when Armin left. Eren ran his fingers through Levi's hair as he made very idle conversation, his yes-or-no questions and statements being answered with soft grunts. As soon as Armin returned, he announced that his grandfather would come for him later on that day, kicking the door closed behind him. Eren tried to prop himself up on his elbows, but he wasn't allowed to do so; Levi was clinging tightly onto Eren, growling dangerously if he tried to move away. The sudden possessiveness was slightly surprising, but when Eren pulled back a bit to complain, but he instantly stopped when he saw Levi's face. The usual furrow in his brow was completely gone, his face warped into a very calm and relaxed expression. This made his heart melt in his chest. Instead of tearing away like he wanted to, he held Levi closer to his body, tightening the hold around him.

Armin smiled when he saw this and asked, "He won't let you leave anytime soon, will he?"

"Nope,"

He sighed and giggled, "I think I overdosed him. The bottle said to give the person two tablets if they weighed over one-hundred-eighty pounds, and Levi certainly doesn't look like that. I think the medicine drop kicked him into oblivion,"

"The things you do," he groaned, nuzzling into the raven's hair. "Why don't we watch some movies? I think I still have Netflix on the 360... think you could hook it up for me?"

It took Armin a little bit to understand which cables belonged to what since there were multiple consoles around the area where the TV was set up. After all the trouble, the Xbox 360 was successfully hooked up, and he took the liberty to get the control and scroll through Eren's profile. He eventually found the box that said 'Netflix', but while he looked for it, he gave the screen a skeptical look. At the box that said what game was ready to be played was the title 'DOAX2'. Armin recognized this anywhere.

"Eren, I can't believe you're playing a fan service game," the blonde sighed.

"Well, it's a good game, I guess," Eren said with a truly innocent tone. "It's kind of old, though... the graphics aren't that great, and I was wondering why so many people like it. There's nothing special about making friends and playing volleyball. What's wrong, Armin? You look like you're going to throw the control,"

"You're so oblivious sometimes! There's a reason why this is considered a_ fan service _game," When he looked back and met Eren's clueless look, he shook the control and groaned, "Boobs, Eren! _Jesus!_"

"Oh," he muttered in a detached tone, grinning when he heard Armin growl and fumble with the control again. "I didn't know that... also, I didn't think I'd ever get you to say that without cackling like an immature ten-year-old,"

Levi's groggy voice spoke up: "What the hell are you disgusting brats talking about _now?_"

They both cracked up at this, their laughing only intensifying when they heard Levi trail off in a train of insults before knocking out once more.

**o0o0o0o**

_(Three days later)_

Levi and Eren spent the rest of the week together after school; on Friday, Eren insisted that the raven spend the night since it was the weekend. He talked to Mikasa about it, who reluctantly approved at the sight of his puppy-dog eyes and offered to make them dinner that night instead of just heating up leftovers. After dinner that night (which Mikasa was surprisingly absent for), they returned to Eren's room, and his lover was quite reluctant on kissing him. Even if he was fifty times better than he was at the beginning of the week, he still fussed over the thought that he would get Eren sick. His lover had a very small cough, but that was just about it. Eren ignored all of his protests and kissed him anyways – small pecks to the lips and forehead, a mischievous grin forming on his lips when he saw Levi struggle with the urge to pounce on him.

They stayed in the rest of that day watching movies together. Eren insisted on watching scary movies, and Levi reluctantly agreed. The brunette picked a very simple and well-known title, like 'Paranormal Activity 3'. They were snacking on Eren's bed, with the raven sitting up (with a slouch) and Eren laying down on his side, resting his head in his lover's lap. Levi watched through bored eyes while he nibbled on a cookie, absentmindedly playing with Eren's hair.

At some point in the movie, Levi growled with frustration, "That dumb bitch doesn't seriously want to play Bloody Mary, does she? I hope she dies first,"

After a couple of minutes, the young girl in the movie was seen cowering in the restroom with her guardian, who received a very ugly scratch along the side of his abdomen. Levi rolled his eyes and looked down at Eren, who fell asleep on his lap with a half-eaten cookie in his hand. The area was extremely warm, which Levi questioned thoroughly; his lover wasn't one to fall asleep this early, either, especially before finishing his own snack. As soon as the movie ended (with the raven grumbling in disapproval about jump scares), he nudged Eren awake, who sniffled a bit as he picked another movie.

**o0o0o0o**

Over the weekend, Eren developed the worst sore throat, cough, and fever that anyone would have imagined. It started out as a faint scratchy feeling in his throat on Saturday, and by Sunday night, he was coughing himself hoarse and moaning in discomfort at the stabbing pain in his throat. He sent a text to Levi late on Sunday night (around midnight, if he recalled correctly), complaining to him about the pain in his throat and the uncomfortable sensation of sweat dripping down his temples despite him shivering as if he was left in a freezer with absolutely nothing but his nightwear. That night, he received a call from Levi that lasted a good thirty minutes, the entire session made up of Eren's weak mewls of pain and Levi's soft croons. The raven told him stories about the times he spent with his father when he was younger, told him about the different bands he enjoyed listening to and how they effected his life, and hell, he even brought himself to comfort Eren (or even humor him) by dubbing him 'baby'.

"Levi, I think I'll die," Eren whined into the phone, curling to his side and yawning as his eyelids started to feel heavier by the second.

His lover's faint purr was heard over the phone, _"You're not dying while I'm here, baby,"_

Eren snorted at this. "That's so weird, it's not like you,"

_"And it's not like you to point out obvious things like that. You're an oblivious brat, Hunter. Hmph... maybe I should change your name to 'bratty Hunter' instead of just 'brat'. Yes, that sounds nice. Well, kid, you're my bratty hunter now,"_

"Now you're in character," the brunette sighed with a grin on his face. While he started to doze off, he muttered into his phone, "... I love you, Levi..."

_"... I... I know you do,"_

That was how their conversation ended that night. Levi didn't even bother to hang up the phone after that, so they technically did fall asleep together... in one sense or another. The only thing that Eren questioned was why his lover didn't return the statement... but that was something to worry about later. It's not like he remembered half of the things he said, anyways. The following morning was hell; he spent at least an hour trying to figure out the meaning of life (in other words, he was half asleep when pouring his coffee, and that didn't end too well). Mikasa gave him a very strong tablet from a bottle she found in the medicine cabinet, trusting that her father didn't put anything in there that they couldn't handle. They met up with Sasha, who (to Eren's greatest astonishment) hooked an arm around Mikasa's and played with the tips of her scarf. Even if Mikasa was hiding behind her scarf, it was still pretty obvious that she wore a pleased grin. Eren was too fucked up at the moment with the drug he took to question it, but if they really were together, he was going to congratulate them later. He couldn't find the voice for it now.

Mikasa dropped him off at the library, sending a venomous glare towards Levi's way before stalking off with her girlfriend. They spent the morning in the library together, making very idle conversation while the raven kissed Eren's temple and gave soft squeezes to his hand every now and then. After reluctantly parting for first period, Eren was more than just a walking corpse; he actually knew about seventy or eighty percent of what he was saying and only had about a three second delay when he was addressed to.

The only thing he had to worry about was what would happen later on that day.

By sixth period, he felt like total shit – the effects of his medication wore off almost completely, and whenever he gulped, his throat would sting very painfully. As soon as the bell rang, everyone upped and left as soon as possible, all expect him, who was dozing off in his seat. He didn't snap out of it until he felt a hand gently nudge his shoulder. He snorted awake and looked around with widened eyes, only to calm down at the sight of his teacher staring at him through light blue eyes. She was wearing the typical white blouse and black jeans that fanned out around the ankles, her black slip-on flats barely seen under the denim. Her blonde hair was cut extremely short, which gave her a somewhat masculine feature, but she was still quite attractive regardless. A warm smile crept across her lips when Eren started to apologize.

"Sorry, Nanaba... I'll be going..."

Nanaba gripped his shoulder to tell him to sit back down and shook her head. She said quietly, "You look like a zombie, Jaeger. I heard about that virus going around, and my nephew has it at the moment... his condition is just like yours. It's terrible. I know I'd be a poor example of a teacher by saying this, but you know you shouldn't have shown up if you weren't going to stay conscious for at least half of my class,"

Eren scratched the nape of his neck and partially lied, "Yeah, sorry about that... tests are coming up and all, and I thought it'd be smart to come to school, regardless being a walking corpse. I'm still feeling a bit lightheaded, though..."

His teacher nodded and dug into her pocket, bringing out a thin lanyard that held two keys and placing it on his desk. "These keys are for this classroom only. You're a really good student, Jaeger, and you have the highest score in my class. If you want, you can rest here for a moment and lock the door when you leave. I'm going to be out on duty, so you can give them back to me on your way out. Think you're up for that?"  
"Really?" he sighed and shot Nanaba a very thankful look. "Thank you so much... my friend was going to drive me home today, but he has a short student government meeting after school, so I guess I'll just wait for him here,"

She merely nodded once more with a small grin on her face and left him to rest his head on his arms. She muttered something about him being a good kid while she strode out of the classroom, making her way (along with the mass of students) towards the front of the campus. Eren sighed with relief; Nanaba was a very strict teacher, but if you actually payed attention in her class and completed her work, she'd give you favors like these anytime. She was just one of those lighthearted teachers that trusted the students that earned some of her respect. Over time, the sound of students talking and footsteps slowly sank out of his mind, and he started to doze off again. However, after he successfully managed to comfortably ease into a pleasant state, he felt a hand roughly shove his side, pushing him off his seat. He hit the tiled floor with a dull thud, hissing in discomfort as he felt a strong throb in his temple. Of course, a headache was kicking in at one of the worst times.

He scrambled to his feet and glared at his 'visitor', though he sunk back a little bit when he saw a familiar face. The other person had light brown hair, his eyes very dark, and his nose with a deep bridge and a ring pierced into it (to look remarkably like a bull). He had a very common (and not to mention shitty) style; high-ankle _Converse_, long socks, shorts, and all. The only thing that made his outfit different was the very expensive-looking silver chain that hung around his neck. He knew this visit wasn't going to end up well. Eren shot a hopeless look at the door, seeing that it was still wide open, but hardly any students were passing by. There was the usual student or two, but if they made eye contact, they simply rolled their eyes at him and moved on. Well, so much for having a quick escape.

Eren straightened his back and asked the taller male, "... What do you want, Vincent?"

Vincent pushed the desk that was between them away in one swift thrust, grinning when he saw that Eren's breathing was starting to get a bit labored and his forehead was drenched with sweat. He knew that Eren was suffering from the virus, but that would just make this entire meeting so much easier. The brunette merely glared at him, but instead of his look being threatening, it was a bit pained and somewhat pleading (for an escape, that is).

"Quit staring at me like that, dyke," Vincent sneered. "I like how you think you have a place here,"

"I don't care about my 'place'," Eren spat, stumbling a bit as he slowly backed away. His headache was getting much worse by the second, his vision staring to blur with confusion. "Do you really think that I give a damn about that stuff? You guys seriously need to leave me alone. How am I any different from you? Oh, that's right – I'm not fucked up,"

The taller male took one long stride forward and gripped the collar of Eren's shirt with one fist, the other clutched to his side with anger. "You're a dumbass if you think I'm the fucked up one around here. Someone told me you killed Thomas in that bullshit you write - you're some crazy psychopath, and if we're not careful, you'll show up to school with a gun and go on a killing spree,"

"You've got to be shitting me," Eren growled, his breathing heavy with discomfort from his illness. "Quit accusing me for the things I didn't do!"

At that point, Vincent threw the brunette to the ground, gritting his teeth with utmost hate and disgust. Eren scrambled to his feet and hissed at the pain in his throat for talking so loudly, his heartbeat increasing dramatically. As soon as he saw the taller male raise his fist, he delivered a swift roundhouse kick... but if he wasn't so sick to the point where he couldn't even respond correctly, it would have worked. He stumbled a bit when Vincent caught his ankle with his two hands, painfully twisting his leg and making him lose his balance. Eren slipped and hit his forehead against the ground, groaning miserably in pain, and it took him a moment to process that the hands that were clutching his ankle with a bruising hold already let go. Vincent mercilessly stamped on Eren, trying his hardest to bruise any bit of skin he could reach, before he eventually saw that the brunette was starting to become unresponsive.

He clucked his tongue impatiently when he saw that Eren's half-lidded eyes were barely flickering with consciousness. He crouched down and shook his head, his hand roughly finding their way into Eren's hair and violently jerking his head up. The brunette muttered a string of profanities under his breath as he was forced to his feet, his hands clawing at Vincent's wrist in protest. He was lead over to Nanaba's workspace, and right next to her desk was a huge closet. He always assumed that there were extra books there, but when it was pulled open, there was nothing but a broom, extra bits of cloth, and a dusty mirror. Eren's eyes widened significantly when the student forced him into the closet and slammed the door shut. His heartbeat increased dramatically when he heard the closet lock from the outside, meaning that he wouldn't be able to get out _at all _unless someone opened it from there again. That only made him start to hyperventilate.

"What are you doing?!" Eren screeched despite the pain in his throat. "Let me out! Vincent –_ let me out!_"

"Shut up," Vincent hissed in response. "If I were you, I wouldn't be freaking out like a dumbass. There's only so much oxygen left in a small space like that,"

He whimpered and banged on the door of the closet, screaming at the top of his lungs for freedom, but that was only muffled from his prison. Footsteps were barely heard from the outside, along with the unmistakable sound of the door slamming shut. Defeated tears welled up in his eyes as he weakly pleaded for help – and to his horror, breathing through the thick atmosphere started to get a little harder. Praise the Lord that there were [puny] vents in the closet for oxygen to pass through.

"L- Levi," he whispered, clenching his eyes shut. "Where the hell were you...?"

As soon as he said that, there was a hurried knock on the door, and it creaked open once more. A familiar voice was heard; "Nanaba, are you here? Have you seen Eren?"

Eren banged on the door of the closet and called, "God damn it, Levi! _Help!_"

Levi didn't move from where he was. The brunette shakily gasped when he said, "Hunter, I'll be right back,"

"_What?!_"

He gained no response.

Eren slumped over and tried to calm his breathing. He already heard from Levi... and he knew everything would be all right with just that. All he heard was the sound of his own quaky breathing, and all he felt was the unbelievable pain of his sore throat (from yelling himself hoarse) and the throbbing in his head. He didn't know how long it was before he heard footsteps again, along with the sounds of a hushed apology and the sharp 'tink' of keys being handled. He remembered only seeing two keys on the lanyard, and as Levi jammed one into the lock and failed to get it to function, he realized that one belonged to her closet and the other belonged to the classroom's door. Well, at least she was correct when she said the keys belonged to this classroom only. As soon as the door opened, Eren was pulled into the familiar embrace of his lover.

"F- Fuck," Eren muttered, biting his lip to hold in a whimper when Levi pulled away from the embrace.

He saw that the furrow in Levi's eyebrow had deepened significantly, his jaw lightly popping with anger and his shoulders stiff. His shirt was also slightly ruffled and his jeans were dirty... what happened while he was gone? Levi pressed a quick kiss to his lover's forehead before rummaging around in his pocket.

"No one touches you -" _(he pulled out a very familiar silver chain and shoved it into Eren's shaky hands)_ "- and if I found out that someone hurt _my Eren_, you know I'd drop a bitch,"

Eren's eyes widened when he saw that it was Vincent's chain, small splatters of crimson seen around the metal. "Y- you didn't... you're not serious..."

"He's not bothering you again," Levi stated plainly.

Eren bit his lip and embraced his lover tightly. Even if he didn't want the chain, let alone touch it, he still clutched it in his fist, wondering what he was going to do with it. He'd probably clean off the dried speckles of blood and turn it in to the lost and found, but he'll do that later when he didn't feel like he was going to melt to death. Levi locked the classroom door himself and returned the keys to Nanaba, walking to the student parking lot with his arm wrapped tightly around Eren's waist. When they were in the safety of his car, his lover moaned in discomfort from the headache and curled up into a ball in his seat. Levi leaned over and brushed Eren's bangs out of his eyes, pressing a gentle kiss to his eyelid.

"Levi..."

"What is it, brat?"

"... n- nothing..."

Levi rolled his eyes and kissed his forehead, muttering reassuring words before driving him back home. He tended to the bruises on Eren's body and made sure he was in bed (Mikasa wasn't home, so he took the liberty to rummage through the medicine cabinet), but before he turned to leave, Eren held onto his wrist and begged him to stay. The raven thought it was just the effects of the drug finally kicking in, but Eren continued to whine, so he did. He cuddled with Eren, playing with his hair and planting sweet kisses on his forehead, until eventually, Mikasa arrived home and took the brunette under her wing.


	10. Mourn

**Note:** Ten chapters in and I jump fifty thousand words. Notice me. Do you guys know the different parts of the human eye? Nyahaha, poor kids.

**Disclaimer:** All of the video games and characters mentioned in this chapter do not belong to me. DOA is love, DOA is life.

* * *

_**Chapter Ten: Mourn**_

Christmas was approaching a lot faster than expected. It was Thursday – the end of the week and only one day until Winter break. The bruises that Eren sustained from the attack were already fading away, and they weren't as sensitive as they were in the beginning. He recovered nearly as quickly as Levi did from the virus, and so did most of the school. Now that the bug washed over and left like the plague, everything was returning back to normal (or rather, life was normal besides the frantic atmosphere and students trying to figure out what gifts to buy for their friends, lovers, or family). They were only one week away from Christmas.

What pissed Eren off the most was that Levi never told him that Christmas day was also his birthday. It was Hanji that broke it to him; while they stayed after school to help clean the library, Hanji ran into Eren on her way off campus and told him about Levi's birthday being on Christmas. He wanted to get his lover a cake, but he didn't know how many candles to put on the top. Hanji refused to tell him and merely winked whenever he asked, until eventually she have in and answered with the number seventeen. So they were the same age. He was just going to have to ask Levi himself in case Hanji was just being... well, _Hanji_, but he completely forgot about that until later on that day when they returned to Levi's house. He had a vague image of what he was going to get the raven, and he still had a little time to get what he needed. But for now, they can spend their evening on Thursday with little to no worries. It didn't surprise Eren when his lover challenged him to a battle on a game called 'Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate'. They were seated together on the base of Levi's bed, both covered with a thick blanket draped over their shoulders.

"I can't believe it!" Eren fumed, watching as his character slumped on the ground in defeat. "God damn it, Levi, how did you get so good?"

"You don't know how long I've been playing DOA games, brat," Levi grinned, tossing his control from one hand to the other while the match restarted. "I thought you would have beaten my ass with Sara. She's a fucking power house,"

"I would have, if you didn't counter almost every move I made!" he growled.

They played the rematch, and of course, Eren lost again, but the match itself was a very close shave. They were both on the verge of death, and if Eren blocked on time, he may have won. The brunette faked a pout and pretended to cry into his controller while Levi nodded proudly in victory.

"You ruined my life!" Eren shot at his lover in a playful manner, snickering when Levi gasped dramatically.

"That's pure bullshit," the raven snapped in defense, absentmindedly picking the 'restart' option and throwing his controller to the side. He leaned over to Eren and kissed his cheek, but this gesture was ignored since the match started and Eren was already button smashing his life away. "Oi, Hunter, are you completely oblivious to everything when you're playing?"

"What was that?"

He rolled his eyes and smacked the controller out of Eren's hands, pulling the blanket above their heads and pouncing on him. He successfully managed to nudge comfortably between Eren's legs, and that was only welcomed with a mischievous giggle. The faint sound of the background music of their match was barely heard through the confines of the thick blanket, but it wasn't like they cared about it anymore. They'd probably get timed out, anyways. It was dark under the fluffy material, and the atmosphere felt very stuffy and warm. Levi kissed the shell of Eren's ear, slowly progressing down his jawline and teasing the brunette by barely brushing their lips across each other. His lover whined at the teasing and wrapped his legs around Levi's waist, kicking the small of his back in protest.

"You're such a brat," Levi purred, finally pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

"Quit calling me a brat!" Eren flared, delivering another kick to the small of his lover's back.

He grinned when he felt Eren loosely wrap his arms around his neck. "Then quit acting like one,"

Their lips met again, but this time, they moved together in synch both slowly and passionately. The thick blanket that shielded them from the outside world made the air very stuffy around them, therefore making it hard to breathe. After a short while, they broke away from the kiss; Eren buried his face into Levi's shoulder and panted lightly to catch his breath. So they wouldn't knock out with the lack of clean air, Levi thrust the blanket aside, the sudden feeling of cool air meeting their skin making them both sigh in relief. It took him a moment to notice they very intense blush on Eren's cheeks – the way his green eyes sparked when they met with gray amused him.

"Calm your teenage hormones," Levi teased.

"I- It's not like that!" Eren stuttered, turning away in an attempt to avoid the mischievous smirk.

"Is that so?" Levi leaned in and kissed Eren's neck, slowly nibbling up to his jawline and muttering, "I wonder what goes on through your sick head – my body flush against yours, my mouth latched onto your neck?"

"Levi!" he whined, smacking his lover's shoulder in clear protest (though, in reality, he wants Levi to continue). "You're so mean, you know that?!"

"How am I mean?" the raven purred, slowly running a hand along Eren's thigh as he licked his earlobe.

Eren bit his lip and replied angrily, "I never even knew how old you were until now. It would have been much easier if you told me before instead of making me have to guess,"

Levi immediately stopped his movements and sat up, a very dangerous look in his eyes. "Armin told you, didn't he?"

"No, Hanji did,"

He pulled off Eren's legs from around his waist and growled, "Four-eyes never keeps her mouth shut,"

"W- What? Where are you going?!" Eren whined, propping himself up on his elbows as Levi stood up from the bed and walked over to the dresser. While Levi gave his reflection a tired look, Eren rolled his eyes and continued, "Well okay, then, be like that! I'll just sit here and wonder if you're sixteen or seventeen this year,"

"What?" Levi asked, shooting a small glare at his lover.

He sat up correctly on the bed and answered, "Hanji told me your birthday was on Christmas, but she won't tell me how old you're going to be. What's so wrong with that? Sheesh,"

In the blink of the eye, Levi pounced on Eren once more, embracing him tightly and pressing butterfly kisses on every bit of skin he could reach. "I'm still pissed off about her telling you about my birthday, but I'm your age, smart one,"

"What's up with you?! First minute you're acting like you hate the world and the next you're acting more affectionate that usual," Eren snapped, trying to wriggle away from his lover. "What do you want for your birthday?"

"That's because I do hate the world. Surprise me,"

He rolled his eyes at Levi and pecked his cheek, pressing their foreheads together and muttering under his breath... something about 'worry', if the raven heard correctly.

**o0o0o0o**

_(The next day)_

Armin sighed for what felt like the millionth time that morning; he was being sent back and forth by various teachers, and by now, his legs were starting to burn with discomfort. It was Friday, and it was also the day before Winter break – he should be celebrating with the rest of the school, not delivering certain paperwork and folders to teachers across campus. The only reason why the teachers chose to send him away rather than their assistants was because he's trustworthy; the teacher assistants would probably stalk off and linger around campus, saying 'hello' to their friends to kill time. Fortunately, this was the last time he was going to deliver paperwork to the office for his [pain in the ass] teacher, and it was already the end of the period. Too bad he didn't get time to hang out with a couple of students before leaving first period. It surprised him greatly that he ran into a very familiar set of amber eyes in the office.

"Hey, Jean," Armin greeted quietly as the secretary skimmed through the paperwork he delivered.

Jean smiled at Armin and replied, "Morning,"

They both fidgeted uncomfortably as they tried to contain themselves from bursting into another conversation (since the secretary really wouldn't appreciate listening on the subjects they usually talk about). Eventually, the secretary handed both of them notes and sent them back to class, telling them that they only had six minutes until the bell rang. As soon as the door to the office shut, Armin groaned into the note.

"Jean, my legs feel like jelly!" he whined.

Jean rolled his eyes and removed the orange rest he was wearing. Every student was required to wear a certain vest if they were going to walk across campus, and most of those vests were either torn or littered with very messily written profanities. He hooked it over his shoulder and sighed.

"Today's the last day, huh? I'll see you next year,"

Armin was about to panic, but he immediately caught himself and snapped, "Don't scare me like that, you jerk!"

The taller male playfully nudged him on the shoulder with his elbow and asked, "Do you want to hang out over the vacation? I heard there's a book fair at the library next week. I can take you, if you want,"

This made Armin blush; he knew that Jean wasn't one to sit down and read a good book, and having the taller male offer to take him to a book fair must mean something. Despite Jean and Eren having a poisonous love-hate relationship, Armin still had a crush on Jean... there was just something about him that made him very different from everyone else. Like the way his amber eyes brightened up when he laughed... the way he'd run his fingers through the fuzz of his undercut when he was stressed... just thinking about all of that made Armin blush intensely. It's been a long time since he's had a crush on anyone like that, and what embarrassed him the most was the fact that his former crush was his childhood friend, or rather, the person he could trust his own life with. Eren and Armin were quite fond of each other at some point in their friendship... it was around the end of middle school that Armin decided to digest those butterflies and push his feelings away. The last thing he'd ever want to do is ruin their friendship... but they were more like brothers at this point (minus the 'help me kiss Levi' episode).

Armin tried to avoid the amber eyes as he stammered, "Y- Yeah, why n- not?"

Jean gave a warm smile and nudged Armin again. The fact that he couldn't stop touching the blonde (whether it be a playful nudge or a 'friendly' hug) made things even more embarrassing for him. "Hmph. You're cute, Armin,"

"W- What?!" Armin squeaked, his blush intensifying tenfold.

Jean snickered at this and added, "You're like a puppy,"

For some reason, this hurt Armin. "Oh yeah?! You're like a bulldog compared to me!"

"That's only because I'm taller than you,"

"Then shrink, why don't you?!"

"It'd be easier if you just grew, but I don't think that's happening anytime soon,"

Armin crossed his arms over his chest and let out a small 'hmph', turning his head with his nose in the air. While he silently fumed, Jean snickered into the back of his hand. Seeing Armin like this was just so damn _cute_, but it's not like Jean would actually let himself admit that to anyone. He was questioning his feelings towards the blonde... sure, Armin may be cute as hell and much smarter than the average student, and having traits like that wouldn't mean that he'd be interested in someone like Jean. Armin's opinion of him was probably poisoned by Eren, and that only made him hiss inwardly with anger. He always went to Marco for advice while Armin ran to Bertolt (they were reading buddies, but that was only when it came to Jean – he'd go straight to Eren if it was anything else). As if it was an apology, Jean wrapped an arm around Armin and gave him a gentle squeeze; this made Armin giggle and absentmindedly lean into the one-armed hug.

At the same time, they came to an abrupt stop. Jean held on to Armin a little too long after he said, "My class is down this hall. I guess I'll see you later,"

"Y- Yeah, I'll see you at third period,"

They finally departed, and as soon as Jean was out of earshot, Armin hugged himself and let out an excited squeal. His gait changed with a slight spring in his step, but he was starting to miss the warmth from that one-armed hug. He skipped around the corner towards his classroom, but as cheerful as he was now, the warm atmosphere that he brought along immediately died out as he skidded to a halt and gasped. In front of him was Hannah, who seemed to be giving CPR to Franz. The bad thing about it was... Franz didn't have the slightest hint of mobility in his body at all. He was completely limp, his body entirely unresponsive besides the dull rise in his chest whenever Hannah forced him to breathe. Tears streamed down Hannah's face as she continued to press down on his chest, desperate little cries leaving her lips with each time she forced the chest cavity down. She saw Armin in the corner of her eye and ceased her movements for a moment, only to turn and plead with him.

"A- Armin, help! He's n-n- not breathing!"

"... Hannah... stop... that's... that's not doing anything..."

Armin took a step closer and grimaced when he saw that Franz's neck was bent in a disgusting angle, along with his legs. He heard the creak of a door opening behind him and a quick shuffle. He spun about to see who it was, but all he saw was the quick flash of blonde hair. A student probably saw them and ran away to go call for help; this fact made Armin's eyes widen in panic. If someone else were to see this besides a teacher or the school security, the consequences would come and bite him in the ass later. Before he had the chance to call out to Hannah, the bell rang, making him hiss in defeat and step away from the classroom doors that burst open. The students that were all gossiping with their friends seemed to freeze at the very spot when they saw Hannah giving unsuccessful CPR to a dead body, and most of them where whispering things and giving Armin doubtful looks. They pushed him off to the side at that very moment; they thought that Armin was just another unfortunate soul that walked in at the wrong moment. Armin took another step back in fear from all of the students surrounding them until he felt a small nudge on his shoulder.

He turned to see Marco, who was carrying both of their things with his arms trembling in discomfort. "Armin, let's go... I'll drop off the vest for you. This isn't the best place to be right now..."

They quickly fled the scene, leaving the students to gawk while a teachers called for the school police.

**o0o0o0o**

"How does that even happen, though...?"

As soon as Eren caught wind of what happened to Franz, he allowed himself ponder over it, but he spent more time than necessary on the matter. Levi usually walked him to his sixth period class, but what made this time different from the others was that they were actually holding hands. It was Levi that made the brave move and went for Eren's hand, which earned him a surprised look (not that he minded). On their way to Eren's class, they heard bitter whispers calling them various names, and after awhile, it started to get to Eren. However, when Levi felt his lover's atmosphere falter, he merely brought their intertwined hands up to his mouth and planted a sweet open-mouthed kiss. This comforted Eren greatly. The brunette bit his lip as he muttered, and this was the first time that Levi would respond with an actual sentence rather than a grunt or hum of acknowledgement.

"That Hannah girl is alright now, I think. I have her for fifth. She's not crying anymore, but the brat's still sulking in her shank corner,"

Eren sighed, "I have her this period,"

"Then comfort her," Levi responded promptly, shooting his lover a serious look. "She just lost the guy she loves. Try to comfort her or something like that. Losing the one person you love hurts like a bitch,"

"You'd know," Eren snorted, missing the slight twitch of disapproval in the raven's eyebrow.

When they stopped in front of his classroom, Levi gave his hand a gentle squeeze and kissed his cheek. "Are you coming over after school, Hunter?"

He had a loose hold around Levi's neck and held him in a close embrace. "Depends. Are you driving me there or do I have to drag Mikasa out of work?"

Levi rolled his eyes and pecked Eren's lips. "I'll wait for you after class, then,"

As soon as his lover left, Eren noticed the very many girls that were watching them and silently squealing into the palm of their hands. All of their slash-fiction-loving eyes met his, and at that moment, they squeaked something about 'shipping' and scurried away. Eren groaned inwardly and entered his classroom, uttering a small 'hello' to various students and plopping down at his desk. He saw that Nanaba was writing instructions on the board out of her handbook while several students were visiting and sending texts to their friends about God knows what. Hannah sat in the last seat in Eren's row, towards the very back, and she seemed to be reading something on her phone, her eyes clouded with tears. Her delicate shoulders were very slightly shaking, as if she were shivering, but the day wasn't that cold and the air conditioner wasn't on yet. Eren went over Levi's advice, but as he stood up, the bell rang and everyone scurried to their seats. He sighed and sat back down; his 'comfort' was going to have to wait until later.

Through the first ten minutes of class, Nanaba lectured her students, and most of them already dozed off. Eren kept taking quick glances back; each time he did, Hannah seemed to be getting worse. Her usually proud and cheerful frame that was filled to the brim with high morale was slowly cracking into numerous pieces. Eren saw that there was an empty seat right in front of Hannah, and as soon as Nanaba turned her back to the class, he quietly migrated to the back.

As soon as he took a seat at the empty desk, she gasped and whispered, "What're you doing here, Eren? Nanaba's going to kill you,"

"She's probably going to be busy writing notes on the board for a good ten minutes, so why don't I stay here?" Eren quickly glanced over to the front of the room, and sure enough, Nanaba was writing various notes on the board. He sighed with relief and turned his attention back to Hannah, adding, "You look like you need the company, too. You sure you're all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she muttered, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. "I just... I c- can't stop thinking... a- about..."

Eren bit his lip when she struggled to keep tears in her eyes. He's written so many scenes like these before, but actually going through one was very tough. He decided to use one of his cheesy (and maybe comforting) lines that he's written before and quietly said, "Look, Hannah -" _(He lifted her chin and ran a thumb across her left cheek, wiping off the stray tear)_ "- I know this is tough, but Franz wouldn't want to see you crying. He loves you -" _(Hannah's shattered frame started to rebuild itself, but only a little)_ "- and I'm sure he's watching over you now. Besides, he wouldn't want your eyes clouded with tears, would he? They're beautiful,"

Hannah sniffled softly and smiled. "Thanks, Eren, you're the best friend anyone could ever ask for. T- That sounded like it came from some kind of cheesy romance novel, by the way,"

Eren sunk back with a blush of embarrassment and retracted his hand. Her voice shook as she continued, "B- But Franz used t-t- to always tell me that my eyes were b- beautiful..."

Their attention was turned straight to the board when Nanaba called out, "Last time I checked, you didn't sit there,"

Eren didn't move back to his seat, but it didn't matter – Nanaba's stern look faltered at the sight of Hannah's tears. Most of the students around the class were staring right at them with curious looks, the sudden intensity making Hannah let out a soft squeak and furiously rub the tears out of her eyes. Nanaba sighed at the sight of her student struggling not to break down in class and closed her handbook.

She offered with her usually calm and quiet voice, "Hannah, do you want to go to the restroom and cool off for a moment?"

Hannah nodded, and with that, she took the vest off its hook and hurried towards the restroom. Eren saw her slip something into her pocket before their teacher could see – it looked like her phone, and it was good she put it away before Nanaba could take it from her as punishment (school rules are a pain in the ass).

As soon as the door closed, Nanaba said, "Thanks for comforting her, Jaeger. Would you mind returning to your seat now?"

He complied with a relieved sigh, the warm feeling of Hannah's tear still lingering on the pad of his thumb.

**o0o0o0o**

It was nearing the end of sixth period and Hannah wasn't back yet. Nanaba gave the class work to do and typed away on her computer, but some part of her was starting to worry. Eren was the first to finish; he hurriedly turned in the paperwork so he'd be able to put his things away beforehand and leave as soon as possible. But when he handed Nanaba the paperwork, his teacher's usually straight and unconcerned face was lit with worry.

"Eren, will you do me a favor?" she asked calmly despite her frantic look.

"Er, sure, what do you need?"

Nanaba tilted her head towards the door and said, "I wanted to know if you could look for Hannah for me. If she's in the girl's restroom, just call her out, but chances are you'll see her at the sinks since the door's always open. You could wait for a different student to finish their work so they could go instead if -"

"- No, I'll do it," Eren cut in. "I've known Hannah for a long time. She probably didn't come back yet because she couldn't stop crying,"

"If she can't, then that's really too bad. We only have fifteen minutes left of class, and I can't stay here waiting for her all day. If you hurry, you may get back on time,"

With that, Eren left the classroom, taking a small note with him that had Nanaba's approval (the vest was gone, so this was the best he had). He checked the nearest restrooms first; there were only three in the entire school available to the girls, and she wasn't in the first two. The furthest one was across campus, and if she wasn't there, either, then he would have to ask the security if they've seen her before reporting to Nanaba. He arrived at the third restroom – the door was still wide open and he heard absolutely nothing.

Eren neared the door and called out, "Hannah, you in there? There's only twelve or ten minutes left of -"

His voice trailed off with a faint 'class' as soon as he saw that there was a small puddle near the sinks. That puddle was a crimson liquid, and there seemed to be some dripping off the side of the sink as well. Eren came to the bitter realization that it was blood, and by sheer instinct, he hurried into the restroom to investigate, ignoring the faded sign saying 'girls only'. He gasped at the sight before him and took a step back.

There Hannah was, covered in her own blood.

He saw that Hannah was loosely holding a pair of bloodied scissors in her right hand, with her unlocked phone sitting a few inches away from her left hand. The bright phone screen illuminated her disgusting figure; her bangs were pushed clear out of her torn face. Eren grimaced when he saw that her eye sockets were completely dark and empty, one of her eyelids torn and dangling off the side of its socket. Blood was streaming out of where her eyes used to be, her eyebrows tainted with the warm liquid, the skin around her sockets severely torn and ripped. The connective tissue of her skin was messily severed, her pale cheek starting to peel right off her face as each string of the tissue ripped off. The bright red muscle layer was barely visible under that, making Eren inhale sharply. Around the socket of the eye was the deepest shade of crimson, eventually branching out to a lighter shade of scarlet in streaks and small specks that blended in with her freckles.

What made things worse was that there was a deep laceration descending from where her left eye should be, down her cheek, and to the very brim of her jawline, the skin on her left face jutting out messily and revealing her teeth (though it was barely visible under all the blood and carelessly ripped skin). That was the area that Eren wiped the tear away from. He hesitantly stepped closer to her, the smell of copper finally hitting him, and he saw that her phone screen started to dim. He picked it up and narrowed his eyes with minor disgust when he felt her warm blood rub off on his skin from the phone cover. Flicking the phone screen with his thumb so it would brighten, he gasped and absentmindedly walked backwards into the sink when he read the text messages. They were both from Franz, and they seemed to have been sent during first period.

'_Your eyes are beautiful. I don't want to see you crying through them._'

Another text, sent twenty minutes later; _'Go to the rooftop on building 3. I have a present for you before we leave.'_

Eren dropped the phone, allowing it to crash on the ground, the sound of the screen and cover cracking into pieces ringing throughout the restroom. He let out a shaky breath and turned around to wash the blood off his hands from the sink. As the cold water met his skin and washed off the blood, he felt a perturbed shiver run down his spine. He was being watched. Spinning about to see who it was, there was no one there besides him and Hannah's mutilated body. That was odd. He went back to washing the blood off his hands, and once all of the crimson ceased to be seen on his skin, he caught something in the corner of his eye. He held in his breath as he looked down at the other sink. To his horror, there were two eyes sitting in the base of the sink; both of them were streaked with minor scratches around the sclera and messily torn muscle clinging to them, both sitting right next to each other. One of the eyes seemed to be stabbed through the middle, the wound being so severe that the lens was on the verge of falling out, being poorly supported by the ciliary muscle. The vitreous humor was slowly leaking out of the sides of the opening, the white substance slowly dribbling down the sclera and onto the sink. How disgusting. Next to the mutilated eye was one that was perfectly well, despite the scratches around it (from the scissors, no doubt). The eye stared lifelessly at him, the brown iris now clouded gray, its unresponsive pupil barely visible through the dull cornea.

"_Jesus Christ!_" Eren yelled hoarsely with fear, turning on his heel and darting out of the restroom.

He didn't even bother turning off the water, nor did he ever look back. That encounter scared the living shit out of him. As he turned the corner of a hallway, he bumped into one of the school police (literally), who opened their mouth to scold him, but immediately stopped when they saw the terrified look in his eyes. After Eren shakily gave a very vague explanation of what he saw, the security guard hurried towards the restroom, briefly eying him for any signs of blood on his clothing or skin. Thank God he washed his hands; if he didn't, faculty might have thought that he murdered Hannah. As soon as he returned, he reported to Nanaba, but apparently, she already knew. She received a call only a minute earlier from the security guard. Her face was extremely pale and numerous students were pestering Eren to find out what happened. He never told anyone, but it was just too bad that terrible news always spread like wildfire.

**o0o0o0o**

_(Later on that day)_

"Hunter, I swear to God, you're a handful,"

"Damn it!"

Eren curled up into a tight ball on Levi's bed and sighed. What happened earlier that day affected him greatly; he simply refused to eat anything and he couldn't erase the image from his mind. Levi comforted his lover earlier when they first stepped into his room, pushing away all of the tears from his eyes with butterfly kisses. The fast and heavy beat of the music playing in the background helped him a bit whenever he tried thinking about something else, but he just couldn't, no matter how hard he tried. Levi groaned with fatigue as he plopped down on the bed next to Eren in a sitting position, soothingly running his fingers through Eren's messy hair. He lightly tugged at the chocolate strands, sending very small waves of pleasure through his lover's spine. This made Eren relax a bit and uncurl himself, basking in the comfortable feeling of Levi playing with his hair. He curled onto his side (facing his lover) and rest his head on Levi's lap, closing his eyes to enjoy the feeling. The raven rolled his eyes at this and tugged a little harder, earning a sharp intake of breath.

Levi grinned and caressed Eren's cheek. "I didn't think hair pulling would get you to calm down,"

"... It feels nice..." Eren muttered, curling up a bit and absentmindedly running a finger along Levi's leg. With a small yawn, he added, "... Levi... hmph... I feel like a curse. I mean... Hannah ripped her eyes out because of me, didn't she? I gave her a huge reminder of Franz, and I think she just cracked..."

"Oh, _yeah_, you're a curse all right," Levi said sarcastically, "Try not to rub off on me, all right?"

Eren failed to catch the sarcasm in this statement. His eyes burned with frustrated tears, and hearing Levi say that made those tears pour out of their restraints. Levi raised an eyebrow when he felt his thigh warm up as the fabric of his jeans absorbed the thick liquid. He raked Eren's hair away from his face to check if he was crying, but his lover merely buried his face further into his lap.

Levi's face warped with concern as he asked, "You took that seriously?"

The brunette refused to answer.

Levi nudged his lover to tell him to sit up, who was being completely disobedient. "You know I don't mean it. What happened back there wasn't your fault. You didn't fucking tell her to go suicide in a school restroom,"

When Eren still refused to say anything, he added with a soft voice, "You're scared, aren't you, Hunter?"

"Levi," Eren sobbed, finally leaving his lover's lap and burying his face in his chest. "That didn't l- look like a normal suicide! I know it wasn't! But... but why do I have a feeling that I murdered her? It's complete hell..."

The raven pulled Eren onto his lap and wrapped his arms around him, nuzzling into his hair and placing warm kisses very often. Eren cried freely into his chest, the fabric of the shirt becoming damp with his tears. Eren mentally slapped himself as punishment for breaking down in front of his lover; he felt so weak, and he certainly didn't want Levi to see that. Angry tears mixed with the frustrated ones as he tried to get himself to stop crying, but it just didn't work. He absentmindedly took a fistful of Levi's shirt, trying to calm down enough to say a sentence without his voice cracking.

"L- Levi..."

His lover grunted in response, running a soothing hand along his back.

"... I- I'm not scared... I'm just so fucking frustrated. Why am I even here if I'm just a curse that's killing everyone?"

Levi angrily snapped, "You're not a curse,"

"Yes I -"

"- No_,_ you're_ not,_"

Eren lifted his tear-stained face away from Levi's chest and retorted, "Then how do you explain all of these deaths?! It's not a god damn coincidence! I'm the reason -"

Before he could finish his sentence, Levi crashed their lips together, making his shoulders shake with a silent whimper. Levi kissed him aggresively, and after a few moments to process the situation, Eren started to kiss back with just as much force. The brunette gradually shifted himself so he was straddling Levi's lap, a blush forming on his cheeks when he felt Levi wrap his arms around his waist. They were pushed much closer together; Eren seemed to rob his lover of his body heat at this point. The kiss was very sudden, but it was welcomed with open arms – the brunette eagerly kissed Levi, the tears now stuck in the roots of his eyelashes rather than pouring out of his eyes.

Levi momentarily broke away from the kiss to mutter, "You're such a brat," he pressed another sweet kiss to his lips and added, "but as bratty as you may be, you're everything and _anything_ but a curse,"

"I love you so much, Levi," Eren whispered, embracing his lover tightly.

Levi felt a small surge of guilt taint his heartbeat as he replied, "... I know you do..."

* * *

**Extra Note:**

_Starlight Nyx:_ Don't worry, I'll be confirming a lot of things over the next few chapters. You can bomb me with your thoughts/theories of Levi's secrets if you want, but I'm really curious to see if my readers are catching on to the hints I drop about Levi [and Mikasa]. I'm not sure if they're obvious or not (they shouldn't be). It's against my code to confirm the 'thoughts' you guys have, though, and so is replying to reviews via private messaging. I feel really bad for that.


	11. Shock

**Note:** Hooray for sexual tension! We all miss the holiday, right? Feliz Levidad, praise Levi Christ, and so on. I'm starting school tomorrow and Kaneki's mask (Tokyo Ghoul) finally came in the mail, so I may or may not forget to update on time (because, hell, pissing off my teachers by fucking around in cosplay instead of doing classwork is great). I suck horribly at making up character names, by the way.

**Disclaimer:** The bands, website, brand, video game title, and book mentioned in this chapter do not belong to me.

* * *

_**Chapter Eleven; Shock**_

_(Christmas Day)_

It was Christmas and Eren was panicking. It took him a little while to get over his friends' deaths, but taking his time to mourn was a mistake. He found it very stupid that he had absolutely no idea how to properly wrap a box, so he sat on his living room floor staring at the wrapping paper and tape in disbelief. The wrapping paper was a bright red, covered with beautifully painted lines of mistletoe that were all intertwined, branching off in random directions to create more. It was the only roll of wrapping paper that they had at the moment, and since Mikasa used most of it to wrap presents for family and friends, there wasn't much left (but luckily, there seemed to be enough for his present). Eren heard his lover complain the other day about how the blank CD's at stores were outrageously priced and that he was tired of making personal CD's with the songs he downloaded off YouTube. So, since Eren payed close attention to the songs Levi listened to the most, he searched through tons of stores and brought up a small stack of albums from various bands; Bring Me The Horizon, Six Feet Under, Three Days Grace, Suicide Silence, and Breaking Benjamin.

Since Christmas was also Levi's birthday, Eren had something in mind – something that he was thinking over the previous night with a highly flustered blush on his face. As a joke, he placed a bottle of Windex in a small gift bag, taping the top of the bag shut so no one could see inside. He knew that Levi was a clean freak, but some part of him thought that doing this would offend the raven. No matter. It was too late to get anything else. At some point in the morning, Mikasa offered to wrap the gifts for him while he made coffee, which he instantly agreed to. While Mikasa wrapped the box containing the albums, Eren brewed his coffee; he spent his time thinking over the schedule he had that day. His family was due to come over some time around dinner (six or seven o'clock), and it was currently noon. Their family usually exchanged gifts after dinner, but since Armin was going to leave with his grandfather to visit his own family, Eren and Mikasa delivered their presents early in the morning.

He returned back to his spot and saw that Mikasa left the neatly wrapped present on the couch, the empty roll of wrapping paper gone besides the very small bits of paper left behind from cutting. While Eren flopped down on the couch, he took out his phone and sent a text to Levi.

_'Is it all right if I come over?'_

He almost instantly got a reply; _'- I was wondering when you'd text me, brat. I was about to ask you the same thing. Do you have a ride?'_

_ 'I can ask Mikasa for one. Or I can walk.'_

_ '- I'm not letting you walk here. That's way too fucking far.'_

_ 'Fine. I'll be there in few minutes.'_

He was quit reluctant to ask Mikasa to drive him to his lover's house. One, he felt terrible for asking _anyone_ for a ride, and two, she seemed to hate Levi with a passion. Not once will she ever mention him or even bother speaking his name, and if Eren brought him up, she'd answer very curtly, sometimes she'd even ignore the statement. To his greatest surprise, she agreed to give him a ride, though she narrowed her eyes with suspicion when he mentioned Levi. She yawned into her scarf as they drove to the neighborhood, with Eren fidgeting with the presents in his hands. When Mikasa dropped him off on the driveway, she said she had a couple of errands to run before their father returned home, and with that, she was off. This left Eren to hesitantly walk up the driveway – why he was hesitant, he didn't know. He knocked on the door and waited, his eyes wandering over to the garden to watch a stray cat stalk underneath the rose bushes.

When the door opened, he was greeted by a voice other than Levi's; "Good Morning, Eren. How are you?"

It surprised him greatly to see that his vice principle was standing at the doorway. Well, Erwin was related to Levi, so maybe he's visiting? He looked up at his superior and stammered, "E- Er, morning, Mr. Smith... is Levi here?"

"Don't be so shy!" Erwin laughed, stepping aside to let Eren in. "Levi's in his room. And you don't have to call me 'Mr. Smith', we're outside of school,"

The scared tension seemed to fade away at that moment. He's never seen Erwin so lighthearted (more than he usually was), but the change was certainly welcomed. He muttered a small 'thank you' and hurried off into the hallway towards Levi's room, leaving Erwin to close the door and return back to the kitchen to resume whatever he was doing. Eren swiftly knocked on his lover's door, straining his ears when he heard the sound of the bed creaking and something being thrown into the trash bin (paper, judging by the crunching sound). The door opened and revealed Levi, who was wearing a partially buttoned up dress shirt and black sweatpants. His eyes narrowed when he saw that Eren was wearing the clothes he'd usually take to school (jeans and a long-sleeve shirt).

"I look like shit compared to you," Levi snorted, gesturing to his sweatpants and dress shirt (that was also severely wrinkled).

Eren had been hiding the presents behind his back this whole time. He was embarrassed for some reason. Levi caught him when he entered the room, but he decided to ignore it. Despite the raven looking like he just woke up, the room was still very clean and organized as usual, naught a piece of trash or spec of dirt to be found. Eren placed the gifts on the foot of Levi's bed and crawled under the covers, making himself at home. He heard Levi rummage around in his closet for a bit while the brunette curled up into a ball under the blankets. He poked his head out of the blankets when Levi threw something at him, and _hell_, did it hurt. Eren saw that it was a small box that was neatly wrapped with white wrapping paper that had the words 'Merry Christmas' printed all over it in red and green letters. Levi sat at the foot of his bed, grinning when he saw his lover pout. He was also poking at the two presents that were next to him.

"Erwin didn't scare you, did he?" Levi asked, watched as Eren played with the box in his hands.

The brunette gasped. "Why didn't you tell me he was going to be here today?!"

Levi looked away for a moment and muttered with embarrassment clear in his voice, "... He showed up before my mother did,"

Eren choked on his own spit at that moment. He coughed, "I swear you'll be the death of me,"

"What, scared of my mother?" his lover grinned and continued, "It's funny, really. I already told you we aren't related by blood, and it's obvious; she looks nothing like Erwin,"

Well, yes, Eren should be scared of Levi's mother – God only knows if the raven inherited his death glare from his mother. Eren's reaction earned him a small grin from Levi, who seemed to enjoy seeing him in complete shock over something so little. Levi crawled over to his lover and took a seat right next to him, crossing his legs and slouching a bit. Eren slipped out of the blankets once it started to get a bit too warm; it took him a moment to realize that there was a heater on.

Levi nudged his shoulder and tilted his head towards his present. "Well, brat. Open it,"

"I- I'm not unwrapping first!" Eren stuttered in outrage.

"- Yes, you are,"

"No, I'm not!"

"- Yes,"

"No!"

"We'll settle this playing rock paper scissors,"

Sadly, Eren lost.

Levi snickered when he saw the brunette scratch his nail against the wrapping paper. Eren rolled his eyes and muttered, "I'm scared,"

"I didn't wrap a bomb,"

"How do I know that for sure?!"

Levi watched as Eren ripped the wrapping paper off, making a small mental note to throw the paper away afterward. As Eren revealed what was covered, a box was shown with a very familiar gray background that seemed to have droplets of water splashed around random areas. He gasped as he removed the remaining wrapping paper, seeing the number five in the very center of the box. The number was colored with a bold shade of crimson, lined with a shiny string of silver. Levi grinned when he saw Eren's eyes widen with disbelief.

"You seriously didn't -" _(He opened the gray box and saw the title 'Dead or Alive 5')_ "- Oh my God, you did!"

The raven chuckled softly when he saw Eren hug the box to his chest, saying, "I can't believe you, Levi! Is this the collector's edition? How much did it cost you?!"

His lover merely shrugged. "Don't worry about it,"

Eren growled in disapproval and pointed at the two presents he brought. "Open yours,"

While Levi rolled his eyes and reached for the wrapped box first, Eren picked up the bits of wrapping paper from his own gift and threw them into the trash bin by the desk. He safely placed the box on the dresser next to them, knowing that he'd end up cherishing the gift for life. He watched with anxious eyes as Levi carefully ripped the mistletoe wrapping paper off, trying his hardest not to make too much of a mess, but in the end, there was still a lot of wrapping paper littered over the bed. The raven's look didn't change – it still stayed in its usual unimpressed mask, but when he opened the box, his eyes sparked with interest. Eren sighed with relief when he saw Levi grin and take out the albums, absentmindedly shaking his head when he scanned each cover.

"... You know me too well," he muttered, his grin widening just a bit when he heard Eren let out an accomplished 'mhm'. "How long did it take you to find these? Actually, no – how much did these cost...?"

"Don't worry about it," Eren mocked, laughing cheerfully when Levi clucked his tongue and threw the littered wrapping paper at him. He shook off most of the wrapping paper, but a small bit got stuck in his hair. Ignoring this, he added, "Open the other one! It's for your birthday,"

"Hmph... I hate having my birthday on a holiday..."

"But why? Doesn't that mean you get twice as many gifts?"

"Exactly,"

As soon as he peeled the tape off the gift bag and took out the bottle of Windex, the brunette bit his lip with worry. To his greatest relief, Levi's grin widened significantly at the sight as he said; "You're such a brat,"

While Levi set the gifts on the side of his bed (though he was careful not to drop the albums), Eren crawled over to him with a mischievous smirk. Before Levi knew it, Eren pushed him backwards onto the bed, shifting around a bit to straddle his lap. This did take him by surprise, but he welcomed it anyways, silently questioning the sudden outburst. Eren rest his forearms above his lover's head, allowing Levi to wrap his arms around his waist.

"Happy birthday, by the way," he muttered, blushing under the intensity of Levi's gray eyes staring at him in question.

The extra piece of wrapping paper fell out of the brunette's hair and fluttered onto Levi's forehead. He removed an arm around Eren's waist to flick the paper off, but out of curiosity, he picked it up between his index finger and thumb to inspect. It was a picture of one of the mistletoe from Eren's wrapping paper, and with a smirk, he flipped it over to show his lover.

"Mistletoe," Levi stated simply.

He whisked the extra bit of wrapping paper away, and with that, they were at it; they kissed each other passionately, with their lips moving together in a fast pace. Levi tilted his head further to mildly deepen the kiss, weaving a hand into Eren's messy hair and gripping gently to keep his head in place. They slightly parted their lips with each kiss and gently sucked with every parting. Over time, Levi decided to test the waters and ran his tongue along the brunette's bottom lip, which earned him both access and a very intense blush. This was the first time that Eren ever French kissed, and the feeling of Levi's silky tongue gliding over his nearly made him moan. Levi ran his tongue along his lover's teeth before fighting Eren for dominance. Their tongues danced together, swiftly circling and lapping, until eventually, Levi won. He explored every area of Eren's warm cavern, savoring the sweetness that attacked his taste buds.

Eren moaned into the kiss when he felt the hand in his hair give his chocolate locks a playful tug. Hearing this moan made Levi grin, and he continued to lightly pull the hair, yearning to hear more of Eren's voice pour out. Levi's free hand was still on Eren's waist, and as if to make some sort of use for it, he slowly ran his hand along Eren's abdomen, caressing the faintly defined muscles on the way. The brunette felt his face smolder with blood as he felt Levi's hand wander up his abdomen, and over time, breathing started to get a bit harder. He broke away from the kiss and panted, a small whine of disappointment leaving his lips when Levi removed his hand from his hair. A very thin line of saliva connected from their mouths, but it instantly broke when Levi moved to kiss his lover's neck. He pressed open-mouthed kisses along the brunette's neck, and without thinking, he pulled the collar of Eren's shirt down. Eren moaned when he felt Levi suck on his collar bone, the feeling of his skin being tainted a deep shade of red by his lover's mouth making his own member twitch with excitement.

"Levi," Eren gasped as the raven nibbled up to his jawline.

"Filthy brat," Levi responded, aggressively sucking on his lover's bottom lip.

Their tongues met again, but this time was a bit more frantic and heated than the last. Eren's hips betrayed him with an involuntary buck, 'accidentally' grinding their clothed erections together. He heard Levi groan into the kiss from the much wanted friction, so he lightly ground their hips together, gaining no type of protest whatsoever. Small sucking noises issued from the two as they continued to French kiss, with Eren wantonly grinding into their clothed erections together with quick rolls of the hips. At some point, Levi broke away from the kiss with a grunt of pleasure, pushing Eren off to the side and nudging between his legs. His self-control was quickly snapping into two, and the sight of Eren's erotic expression certainly didn't help. He pinned the brunette's arms above his head with one hand while the other ran a hand along his lover's thigh, encouraging him to wrap his legs around his waist. Eren eagerly complied, and as soon as he hooked his legs around Levi's hips, the raven latched onto his earlobe, idly sucking while grinding down against his lover's arousal. Eren arched his back and let out a rather excited moan as Levi aggresively ground their hips together, his face entirely flushed with want.

As much as the raven loved the sound of his lover's voice, Eren moaning like that might have been a mistake. At that exact moment, there was a knock on Levi's door that made both of them stop what they were doing and stare at the door. Eren was still panting quietly with arousal, and Levi's grip on his wrists never seemed to falter.

"Levi, are you busy?"

It was Erwin.

"Yes, I fucking am," Levi growled angrily at him.

Erwin heard this muffled response through the door and rolled his eyes with a small grin on his face. He had a vague idea what the raven was busy with; if he was correct, he heard Eren moan. Erwin crossed his arms over his chest and called back, "I'm just letting you know that your mom is home. You don't want to keep her waiting,"

They heard the sound of Erwin's footsteps walking away from the door. Levi sighed in disappointment and let go of Eren's wrists, reluctantly slipping away from the heated atmosphere. The brunette held in a whine of disapproval as Levi stepped away from him, slowly sitting up on the bed and adjusting his jeans (that seemed to constrict very tightly around him). Levi gave his lover an apologetic look, who was still licking his lips – Eren was starting to miss the strong taste of coffee from Levi's mouth. The raven nearly sighed with disbelief at the thought that could have happened between them – there was one huge reason why he didn't want things to get out of hand, and that main reason seemed to slip away so easily when things gradually escalated to a much more heated degree.

After a long moment of silence, Levi muttered, "... You could meet my mother, if you want..."

Eren blinked stupidly. "Wait, what? Really? I actually get to meet your mom?"

"Well, why the fuck not?" Levi bit his lip and added, "But she's just a bit... _enthusiastic_ sometimes..."

While they made their way to the kitchen, Eren started to panic a little bit; he never thought he'd be meeting Levi's mother. Whenever he came over to visit, his mother was still at work, or at a short business trip. It was always quiet and lonely there. Levi managed to kill his own arousal when they reached the kitchen, so out of pure panic, Eren imagined a naked Jean – sure enough, his erection immediately died. They saw that Erwin was going over a stack of paperwork at the kitchen counter, and a woman was standing in front of him with her back towards them. She had long, silky black hair that stopped just above her lower back, and it looked as if she was wearing a business suit under that. Her posture was almost impeccable, and she seemed to be as tall as Levi. Eren's eyes widened with minor fear while they listened to her conversation.

"Do you really think you're ahead of the game, Reiss?" the woman hissed dangerously into her smart phone. "I'd be keeping an eye on my drinks if I were you. Mention this conversation to anyone else and you'll be wishing your mother aborted your sorry ass,"

She hung up the phone and tossed it onto counter, running a hand through her hair with stress. "I swear to God, Erwin, if Lod tries to -"

Her sentence was interrupted when Levi cleared his throat. Eren had already backed away and created some sort of distance, and doing this earned him a sight he never thought he'd see. When the woman turned around, she seemed to have the exact same eyes and facial structure, but instead of wearing an unimpressed mask and a furrow in her eyebrows, she had a very lively look. What sparked his curiosity was how one eye seemed clouded white while they other was a stunning shade of silver like her son's. She didn't seem to notice Eren, and her face brightened up significantly at the sight of Levi.

She wrapped her arms around Levi and exclaimed, "And it's my little boy's birthday today, too!"

"Mother..."

"Happy birthday, baby!" she crooned, kissing Levi's forehead and letting him out of the tight embrace. "How old are you this year? T-"

"- I wanted you to meet someone," he cut in, tilting his head back towards Eren's direction.

As soon as slightly bi-colored eyes met with bright green, she excitedly stepped over to Eren and offered her hand. Eren's tense posture softened when he saw how lively she was, and when they shook hands, she gave him a warm hug and kissed his cheeks.

"My name is Lauren. What's yours, sweetie?" she asked.

"Eren," the brunette replied with a polite smile.

She turned back to Levi and asked, "So this is the Eren you told me about?"

When he nodded, his mother turned back to Eren, her cheerful voice completely pushed aside with a business-like tone, "You're still in high school, right? If you want to publish now, I'm going to need your parents' permission. I'm sure you're aware of my business – whenever you have the guts to get your work out there, just give us a call. How long it takes to publish depends on how much work you're willing to put into it; keep in mind that we're not asking for your money. You better be thankful for that, too. Publishing isn't cheap,"

"Mother, you're scaring him," Levi stated with a grin.

Lauren rolled her eyes with a grin and continued, "Sooner or later, I'll have to read your work to get it through. Advertising is a different story – I'll go over that with you later when you're in my office turning in the final copy. Sound good, sweetie?"

Eren was speechless. After a moment to process what he just heard, he stammered, "Er... y- yeah, all right..."

"Good!" she tilted her head over towards Erwin's direction and asked Levi, "Why don't you go help your uncle organize his paperwork?"

With an impatient 'tch', Levi stalked off to help Erwin with whatever the hell he was doing. Eren took a step forward to go with him, but the look Lauren gave him basically said 'I need to talk to you'. Seeing this made him stop, and he was still quite tense with what he heard before. It's not like he was scared of Lauren in general – he was just intimidated by the power she had and what she could do. She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed at the sight of Erwin and Levi teasing each other with mild insults.

"That boy is just like his father," she said, her gray eyes meeting green once more. "Not once will he let his playful side show. He never takes off those bracelets, does he?"

Eren finally noticed that Levi was hiding the bracelets on his wrists with the long sleeves of his shirt. "No, he doesn't... I guess he just likes those bands a lot,"

"Always keeps me in the dark, too," Lauren hummed, nodding slowly. "Eren?"

"Ye - ?!"

Despite her being shorter, the look she had was very menacing. Even with one eye treacherously darkened black while the other stared lifelessly at him, the atmosphere still dropped to a very cold degree. Now that Eren thought of it, she was probably blind by her left eye, but it wasn't his place to ask why. Besides looks, she passed on a very important trait to her son – the treacherous death glare, threatening look, and persuasive tongue. Eren's eyes widened when she unfolded her arms from her chest and took a step forward, making him take an equal step back. Lauren poked her finger at Eren's firm chest; she wasn't trying to hurt him, but she was trying to get her point across.

"Levi told me that you two are together. You better take care of my little boy," she threatened, her tone dark with power. "Whatever you do to hurt him, I'll do worse to you,"

"I -"

"- Treat him right. I know he'll do something stupid to protect the person he loves, and if you ever make him question those feelings, I'll throw you head-first into a shark pit after I castrate you with my bare hands. Understood?"

Yes, Lauren and Levi were much alike when it came to threatening and protecting who they love. Eren wasn't sure if this was a good or a bad thing. He merely nodded and gulped loudly, his expression practically screaming in protest and fear against the intimidation. With that, she brushed him off with her usually cheerful voice despite her stern look. While Lauren stalked off into the hallway with her smart phone in hand, Levi narrowed his eyes at the uncomfortable look Eren wore. Both Erwin and Levi exchanged quick glances before he tucked the paperwork away, whisking Levi and Eren away to go enjoy their time together. While the two boys hurried back to Levi's room, Erwin rolled his eyes with a mischievous grin – he had a feeling they would get back to whatever they were doing earlier. Thinking about that made him shudder with minor disgust.

**o0o0o0o**

_(New Years)_

Levi found it very entertaining how his mother intimidated Eren. The idea of her castrating Eren with her bare hands was way too funny, but the brunette merely pouted at his amusement. They spent the next few hours cuddling and watching cheesy Christmas movies until Eren had to return home before his family arrived. That was when Lauren decided to spend time with her son, which was greatly appreciated. Flash forward six days later; it was December thirty-first. Levi was stuck with his mother in the publishing office while Eren had to worry about cooking dinner with Mikasa and his father.

Levi typed away on his computer while his mother engaged in another conversation with the head of the Reiss family. That bastard was always trying to find a way to sabotage their company, but the sad thing about that statement was that they owned a publishing company. There isn't a reason to be against that. Lod Reiss owned his own publishing company that was located in the Utopia district, but it wasn't doing as well as Humanity's Wings. One, it wasn't as popular, and two, marketing nowadays was absolute shit, and trying to climb to the top with poor income certainly wasn't going to go well. Not that they had a problem with money – the Reiss family worked with many other companies around the world, and income came in easily, just not with their publishing company. They made less money than they earned. Lauren also worked with different companies, but only with the ones that she trusts most. Having too many partnerships isn't good.

Eren had his family visiting for New Years – while he worked in the kitchen, his father would occasionally leave to greet a family member, leaving Mikasa and Eren to work on dinner alone. Eren could have sworn that Mikasa seemed moodier than usual; she didn't show it through her expressionless mask, but just under that, there was a spark of hurt. Mikasa's parents were both murdered, and nobody knew who murdered them or why anyone would go after them. The story of how Mikasa was 'adopted' was quite disturbing, even for Eren, who looked back on that day with a grimace on his face. Stabbing another human being to death at the age of nine isn't healthy... but now wasn't the time to think about that. Eren gave his adoptive sister a reassuring hug, which boosted her morale greatly.

While the meat was set in the oven for a good hour, the clock struck eleven-thirty above them. They started making dinner way too late this year, but it wasn't like the family minded. They were usually awake until six in the morning the next day, when most of them ate leftovers for breakfast and left. It happened every year. There was nothing new about it. Eren yawned into the back of his hand as he flopped down on the couch, watching as the younger children chased each other around the living room, their bright green eyes flaming with life and joy. Their television was on a channel that would count down until midnight, therefore celebrating the new year with loud cheers and confetti. When Eren was younger, he's always count down along with the man on the screen, but as he got older, he lost interest. His tired eyes watched as the number slowly counted down from ten, and as soon as the clock hit zero, his phone buzzed in his pocket. While the people on the screen celebrated and various family members exchanged cheerful 'Happy New Years', Eren checked his phone. He received a very brief text, and it was sent as soon as midnight struck.

_'Happy New Years.'_

… The slight increase of shock he felt in his heartbeat when he saw that it was from Levi.

His grip on the smart phone tightened as his heart fluttered – he knew that Levi would be busy over the holiday, and to think that he'd spend the time to send him a text message made him want to scream with joy. That night, he dozed off with a smile on his face after rereading the simple message over and over again.

**o0o0o0o**

_(First week of January)_

The book fair was much more interesting than Jean thought it would be. While Armin excitedly went to each presentation, he took a small interest in the poetry booth. There were poets taking turns reading their work, adding in their emotion and fluently going through each stanza, never breaking the easy flow of words. Armin bought him a thick book that he found in a shabby-looking stand; the title was somewhat plain, baring the title 'The Pillars of the Earth'. The recommendation was gladly accepted, and while Armin scanned through a stray bookshelf, he flipped through the first few pages. It took him awhile to actually get into it, but soon enough, he couldn't keep his eyes off the pages. He took a seat in a wooden chair next to an abandoned stand and read his book while Armin rummaged around in his bag. Jean felt a small nudge on his shoulder and looked up, only to see that the blonde was handing a camera to him.

"Oh, you want a picture?"

When Jean put his book away and lifted the camera, Armin shook his head. "Not just me. I want one with you,"

With an excited giggle, Armin hooked their arms together and rest his head on Jean's shoulder, looking up at the camera with sky blue eyes filled with joy. Jean took a moment to process this and followed in suit; with a small grin, he took the picture. Armin snatched the camera out of his hand and scanned the picture, only to whine in disappointment.

"I look like a scared puppy," he said with a pout.

Jean rolled his eyes and ran a hand through Armin's hair, brushing his bangs aside. "If you're a puppy, then that means you're mine, right?"

"You wish!" Armin snapped, blushing at the contact. He slapped Jean's hand away and said with a devious smirk, "Get a collar and a leash, and then we'll talk,"

The taller male spoke his thoughts aloud; "That sounds kinky,"

He caught himself and bit his lip, but that only made Armin think worse of the picture. His blush intensified tenfold and he weakly smacked Jean's shoulder as some sort of punishment. "N- Not like that, you jerk!"

Jean rubbed his shoulder with a playful grimace. "Jesus, you don't have to hit so hard,"

Armin rolled his eyes at this and pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "Why don't we start heading home already? You look like you're going to die of boredom,"

"If you want," the taller male said as he stood from his seat and stretched, sighing in relief from the popping in his back.

When they turned to leave, Armin playfully added, "Just don't lose me in this crowd,"

It was very possible to lose someone as small as Armin in a crowd like the one they were in now. There were numerous people passing and going, some holding books in their hands and others taking curious pictures. Jean took this situation to his advantage; he took hold of Armin's hand and intertwined their fingers, smirking at the vivid blush on the other male's cheeks. It didn't look like Armin was going to protest, but it certainly looked as if he was going to die of embarrassment. Even if no one would see their hands firmly held together because of the busy crowd, Armin still felt very flustered with the fact that his crush was holding his hand. He might just get his hopes up.

Jean caught himself and laughed awkwardly, "Well, you won't get lost like this, right?"

When Armin nodded, the taller male led him through the busy crowd, the tight hold on his hand feeling very warm, and eventually somewhat damp. The palm of Armin's hand started to sweat as he thought of things he shouldn't be (like how Jean's lips looked so soft), and this only added to the overall embarrassment he felt. Damned teenage hormones. It was pure torture.

* * *

**Extra Note:** Is it okay with my readers if I add extra Jearmin scenes like this? I hope you don't mind c:


	12. Argument

**Note: **All right, kids, this is it. I'm finally shedding some light on a bit of Levi's past (and I magically fell in love with the reviewer that unknowingly guessed his secret correctly, that smart little cookie). I also wanted to get this out now: I'm sorry for the frequent time skips. I have a few things to get nailed down, and they all have to get spaced out from Eren's 17th birthday (now) to Eren's 18th birthday.

**Quick update:** Yes, I changed my username from 'Maitasun' to 'Sorkari' because I seriously don't want my family to find my work. 'Maitasun' is too familiar with them, and thus, Sorkari was born. Please bear with me.

**Disclaimer:** The song, singer, website, and video game mentioned in this chapter do not belong to me. 'At Last' is a song sung by Ito Kanako, a female Japanese singer. DRAMAtical Murder was made by Nitro+CHiRAL.

* * *

_**Chapter Twelve: Argument**_

_(Valentine's Day)_

"This is pure bullshit,"

Eren tore the page out of his sketch book and crumbled it up, angrily throwing it in the nearest trash bin. The crumpled ball of paper smacked against the wall behind the trash can and fell in, only mildly calming Eren's rage. They were given free time in their art class to make quick sketches of whatever they'd like, and so far, Eren had no progress whatsoever. He decided to draw out the designs of his military uniforms, 3D Maneuver gear, and weaponry. He had no troubles at all explaining how the 3D Maneuver Gear worked in his novel, but when it came to actually drawing it, he was completely stumped. The art room wasn't very big; most of the desks around there were squeezed in together, and there was limited space to move around. There was just small passageways around the desks that allowed the students to leave their seats with minor trouble and get up to get whatever they needed. At the beginning of the year, each student was given a sketch book by the teacher, and sadly, Eren's sketchbook was missing more than half of its pages with the amount of time he spent scribbling things out and tearing out pages that contained failed models or drawings.

Armin sighed as he watched Eren fume with frustration. He caught a small glimpse of what Eren was trying to draw; there were different styles of swords and blades labeled A through Z, and all twenty-six of those models were crossed out. The blonde reached over to Eren's sketchbook and pulled it out of his unresponsive hands. He gave Armin a pleading look, who instantly complied.

"You're trying to draw the blades from your story?" Armin asked, but it sounded more like a statement.

The nod he earned signaled him to continue, "I've always had a vague image of what they'd look like... let's see -"_ (He drew a simple sword on the paper, very similar to a samurai's)_ "- didn't you say they were double-sided? So having the 'blunt of the sword' wouldn't apply -" _(Eren watched as Armin erased the pointed end of the blade and darkened what would be the blunt side to define it)_ "- and it'd look really weird if you had a pointed end, so what would be the point of having it? You're not looking for a knight's sword, are you? That would be pointless if the blades are used for slicing through rough skin, not stabbing -" _(He drew over the curved edges of the blade to make it look very rigid, much like the back, and after the top was drawn in as a flat, sharp edge, the blade had a rectangular shape)_ "- Handles are really off... just holding onto a handle with your fist doesn't really give you much support, does it? So if it had a handle... that would be easier... and you mentioned something about being able to replace the blades..."

As soon as he finished drawing in the handle, he handed Eren the sketch with an accomplished nod. The brunette stared at the blade in disbelief; it was perfect. The shading, the details... he loved it. He always envied Armin for having the drawing skills he never had, and the only reason why he signed up for art that year as an elective was because Armin insisted that he tried to improve those skills. He sighed and handed his sketchbook back to the blonde, giving him a very thankful look. Armin rolled his eyes with a pleased grin and turned the page. Deciding to start with a model, he drew a faint circle at the top of the blank page and added an equally faint line through the middle, then adding a horizontal line at the bottom of the circle that went through the first line. Eren's green eyes sparked with interest as Armin started the facial structure, but instead of finishing the head, he outlined the jaw and progressed down, quickly drawing out some sort of skeleton to help guide him. Eren never bothered starting out with skeletons and basic shapes, mainly because he was too lazy, and he also thought that it was a waste of time. It wasn't like he drew his models as bad as a kindergartener, he was decent, he just needed the motivation to actually draw well.

"Did Mikasa like the scarf I knitted her?" Armin asked while he sharpened the jawline.

They celebrated Mikasa's birthday the previous week. Armin noticed that the red scarf Mikasa always wore was starting to rip, so he decided to learn how to knit during January and successfully made her a new scarf. She smiled when he presented his finished work to her and [almost reluctantly] replaced her old scarf with the new one. It appealed to her greatly, and she liked to bring it with her in her bag whenever she went to school (Armin was happy that she at least keeps it with her during school). They threw a very small party for her; since she simply disapproved of throwing a huge party with many guests and gifts (much like Eren), Armin came over early in the morning with a few baking supplies and his gift. Eren and Armin managed to make a decent cake without burning the house down, but at some part of the morning, they had a very messy fight with the batter. Cleaning up after that was a pain in the ass, but Mikasa didn't mind. It touched her heart to see the two people she cared about the most go through so much trouble for her. Grisha arrived to hand her a gift and say 'hello', and later on that day, she mysteriously disappeared with her car, muttering something about Sasha on her way out the door.

Armin smiled when Eren replied, "Yeah, she likes to wear it at home,"

Eren heard footsteps in front of him and looked up; he was met with amber eyes. He smirked when he saw Jean throw his own opened sketchbook on Eren's desk in defeat. In the middle of the page was a large circle, but it looked as if he lost interest and left it alone.

"I'm fucking stumped," Jean sighed, leaning on Armin's desk and watching as the blonde outlined the character's collarbones. He absentmindedly added, "What about you, Jaeger? What have you been drawing the past thirty minutes?"

Eren rolled his eyes and said, "I was wondering what would be nice to draw, and I settled for you being eaten alive,"

The students nearest to him that heard what he said grimaced with disgust and scooted away while Jean snickered, "Didn't turn out very well, did it? That trash bin is filled with your papers,"

After the taller male took a moment to process what Armin was drawing, he leaned in a bit to get a better view. When he saw familiar messy hair and large eyes, he asked, "Are you drawing Eren?"

"In the Military uniform from his story," Armin confirmed, sitting back in his seat and tapping his chin with the eraser on his pencil. "I just don't know what it should look like... maybe a uniform from our military?"

"That's too fancy for the year eight-hundred," Jean laughed. "You told me the description of it before. Maybe a plain jacket with a collar would be better than a dress shirt, and adding a badge from the Military branch would look nice,"

He plucked the pencil out of Armin's hand and erased what he had so far, replacing it with what he had in mind. He drew in the small lacing of Eren's shirt along with the plain jacket, defining the collar and sleeves with thicker lines and drawing a small, blank badge on the right side of his chest. Armin gasped and took his pencil back, erasing the part where the jacket buttoned up and redrawing it so it revealed his front. They kept adding along to the uniform while Eren watched in disbelief; over time, he was left with the Military jacket, his shirt and jeans, and boots.

"I cant believe it..." Eren sighed.

"So you like it?" they asked in unison.

When Eren nodded, Armin started to draw a harness, saying, "Then we need the straps of the Gear. Jean, you haven't read his story, have you?"

"I just know what you told me before,"

Armin briefly explained how the 3D Maneuver Gear worked, and Jean bit his lip with interest. "Well... if they're going to be flying around, they'll need some sort of support. Things that are important for their balance... their legs, maybe the upper body?"

They drew in the straps, and after quietly discussing various topics about the human anatomy, they settled with straps on the thighs, legs, chest, and sides. Eren questioned why Jean bothered to help with the style of the uniform, but it was still greatly appreciated. The outcome seemed so simple... and that fit the story perfectly. It also gave him less to worry about. While Eren scanned the model of the uniform and blade, Jean and Armin struck conversation.

Eren nearly jumped out of his seat when his teacher suddenly called, "Kirstein, what are you doing at Jaeger's desk?!"

Jean thought for a moment and shot a mischievous look towards Eren. "I was asking Eren why his character has no jawline,"

The students around them snickered at this while the brunette gave Jean a death glare, who merely grinned. Armin was smiling weakly at this, mouthing the words 'I'm sorry' to Eren. The teacher merely sighed in disappointment and went back to typing on her computer, leaving her students to resume whatever they were doing. When the bell rang, Eren playfully shoved Jean's shoulder with his elbow, shooting lighthearted threats his way.

**o0o0o0o**

Since it was February, most students spent their time worrying about getting gifts for their lovers rather than doing their schoolwork. High school was different from elementary – students never passed out Valentine's day cards anymore. It was Thursday today; the end of the week and Valentine's Day. Eren should have spent his previous period thinking of something to get for Levi; he saw a few girls in his art class drawing hearts for their lovers. He didn't have anything at all to give to Levi, and he silently cursed himself for not listening to his best friend's advice. Armin told him the week before to pull his life together, but he merely brushed it off with a careless wave of the hand. He ran to Armin for help as soon as they sat down at their lunch table off to the corner, whining about not having enough time.

"_Armin,_" the brunette cried hopelessly, burying his face into his friend's shoulder.

Armin sighed and patted the back of Eren's head. "You still have some hope left. Aren't you and Levi going to the Valentine's day dance?"

Eren lifted up the wrist with the bracelet that granted him entrance to the dance and muttered, "You're not going, are you?"

"Well, I have no one to go with," he sighed, slapping Eren's wrist away. He continued, "The dance doesn't start until what, five? That gives you nearly three hours after school to figure something out!"

Eren let out a fake sob into Armin's shoulder. "I don't have a ride home unless it's Levi, and I said I'd stop at his house right after school,"

"I don't think Mikasa is staying to help this time, so just ask her for a ride. But seriously, Eren, you're hopeless,"

"I know I am, damn it!"

They heard someone sit in front of them and cluck their tongue with disappointment. This gained their attention, with Eren secretly dreading that it was his lover. He sighed with relief when he saw that it wasn't Levi; it was Hanji, who pushed her glasses further up the bridge of her nose and crossed her arms above her chest.

"Now, why am I seeing Levi's beloved boyfriend crying on another guy's shoulder while he's away?" she teased.

Eren pulled away from Armin and scooted down the bench, to where he was at an arm's length away from him (or possibly more). "I- It's not like that!"

"Yeah, right," Hanji giggled at Eren's flustered expression and rest her head on one folded hand. She sighed, "Levi's going to stay after school today to help put up the decorations. Man, this sucks... I left my library books at his house yesterday, now I can't get them back until tomorrow,"

"You stay over at Levi's after school?" Eren asked, raising his eyebrow with suspicion.

She nodded. "I've known him since second grade. He used to walk me to school until he moved to a different neighborhood,"

Eren narrowed his eyes at this. "He wasn't even double digits in second grade! Didn't his parents walk him to school or something?"

Both Hanji and Armin looked uncomfortable when he stated this. She cleared her throat and replied, "We lived in the neighborhood right in front of our elementary, and he was in the corner house, so I'd meet up with him there. I think his dad- I mean – no, his _mom_ – used to watch from the window,"

Eren was going to retort with his suspicion, but Armin cut in, "Hanji, you're going to the Valentine's day dance, right?"

Hanji was glad that he changed the subject so suddenly. "Yeah, I have to go. Student Government really hates me... all this work..." She brushed her bangs out of her eyes before continuing, "but it's really fun. I mean, I get to piss Levi off by making a mess. Glitter isn't easy to take out of hair, y'know,"

The thought of Levi trying to comb rainbow glitter out of his hair made Eren snort with amusement. Armin smirked and asked, "What do you think Levi would like for Valentine's day?"

Hanji nodded over to Eren and guessed, "He's lost, isn't he?"

The brunette crossed his arms and silently fumed when he saw Armin nod. Hanji rolled her eyes and said with a devilish grin, "He likes sweet things. Like candy, chocolate, tea, _sugar,_"

When she emphasized the last word of her sentence, she have Eren a highly suggestive look by waggling her eyebrows, who immediately flushed an intense shade of scarlet. Armin giggled boyishly when Eren raged, "I'm not fueling your dirty fictions, you freak!"

Hanji's grin widened. "Who said they were dirty? Do something sweet for him! Flowers, cuddling, singing -"

"- nose booping, shy kisses," Armin added for her.

Eren growled with frustration and hid his smoldering face in his binder, ignoring their amused laughter. As much as this embarrassed him, asking Hanji was actually a good idea; if Levi really did like sweet things, then he could make something after school that may or may not take too much time. He just needed Armin's help, and a phone call will save his life if he had the right tools at home.

**o0o0o0o**

Things didn't go as well as planned after school. No, it wasn't anything with what he had in mind for Valentine's day; it was with Mikasa. She was quite uncomfortable when he mentioned going with Levi to the dance, and when he asked for a ride, she tried to make up excuses so they wouldn't go. Mikasa told him that their family was coming home, but after a moment of thought, he pieced it together and found plot holes. Their father wasn't going to be returning home until next week because of a business trip to a hospital in the neighboring city, and she failed to hide her bracelet with her sleeve. They got into a small argument before Mikasa gave up and agreed to take him. It's not that she didn't have anything to retort with in their argument – she just didn't want to create an unnecessary fight (verbally) that would only end up with one of them skulking in their room for a good hour or so. But it wasn't like their argument affected how they spent their time at the dance. They weren't angry and frustrated with each other, so trying to avoid one another like others would didn't apply. The family bond they shared was different from other families. It was almost like they never argued in the first place.

Eren was quite paranoid about this dance because of what happened on Halloween. It was as if his five senses intensified with fear and suspicion alike for that hour. The music was obnoxiously loud like the last time, but at least the old cabinets were replaced with newer ones. Mikasa was seen with Sasha; instead of dancing, they talked, and Mikasa was trying her hardest to hide a genuine smile behind her scarf. Levi invited Eren to stay over for a small while after the dance, and of course, he agreed. Mikasa probably wouldn't mind. The way they spent their time there was a tad bit different... the way Levi romanced Eren with sweet kisses to the knuckles, shy hand holding, and fluffy comments made the brunette believe that chivalry wasn't dead. He didn't think that Levi had such a romantic side hidden with his usual cold, rude, and unimpressed manner. Various students would shoot them dirty looks while others gave gentle smiles, and the sudden feeling of publicity made Eren a bit uncomfortable. The looks people gave him... he was used to it, but he didn't want Levi to go through it. But whenever he looked to see if Levi was all right, the raven would squeeze his hand in a reassuring manner, which would almost always calm him down.

Mikasa gave both of them a very reproachful look at the student parking lot before she returned to the gym to help take the decorations down. The way she glared at the two made Eren a bit edgy, and seeing her stalk off with her nose tucked into the deep folds of her scarf gave him a bad feeling. Levi mumbled something about a gift under his breath, and that reminded Eren about the Valentine's day present he had at home. He didn't even bother asking Levi to drive him home for that – Levi was already taking the familiar route to his home, but for some reason, he was driving slower than he usually did. Most likely to prolong the car ride of them two making idle conversation while Levi played with Eren's fingers in his hand. He weaved their fingers together and playfully squeezed, tracing small patterns over the back of Eren's hand with his thumb. On their way home, the brunette saw something in the mirror above them; it was a deep shade of crimson, a small portion of it showing from under the back seat. This sparked his curiosity, and Levi was too busy maneuvering through traffic to notice this.

When he parked the car along the sidewalk, Eren flashed a mischievous grin at his lover and asked, "What's under the seat?"

Levi narrowed his eyes and readjusted the mirror so it was pointing towards the roof of the car rather than the back. "Nothing, brat,"

"That looks like something, though," Eren pointed out, reaching a hand towards the back seat.

The raven slapped his wrist, which he retracted with a small pout. "Curiosity kills the cat,"

Eren's large eyes glittered as he brought his two hands up to his mouth and let out a tiny mewl. The corner of Levi's eye twitched as a very faint blush formed on his cheeks, his heart melting at the sight of the adorable 'cat' in front of him. It took Eren a moment to form a decent purr as Levi scratched under his chin, his bright green eyes slightly lidded as he relaxed. The raven slowly ran his index and middle finger along the length of Eren's jawline, gently caressing the small area of skin where the jaw and earlobe connected. At this point, his lover was actually purring with [very] mild pleasure. It surprised Eren greatly when he realized how relaxed he felt when Levi pet him – no wonder animals loved him, especially cats.

"You used to have a cat, didn't you?" Eren asked, leaning into Levi's soft touch.

"When I was younger," his lover hummed, absentmindedly twirling Eren's bangs with his finger.

Eren knew Levi was uncomfortable when it came to talking about his past, but his curiosity got the best of him. "Did it run away?"

He thought Levi would pull away and isolate himself like he always did, but instead of doing that, he playfully pulled the hair that was twirled around his finger. "I wish that she ran away. The way she died was pretty traumatic for me at the time... you know how shitty stepfathers can be,"

Levi had a stepfather. That's something to add to his book. He thought for a moment and tried to probe on in an innocent manner to hide his curiosity, "I never had a step dad, but I've heard a shit ton from family members. It must have sucked, huh?"

He chose his words carefully, and it paid off; "You're one lucky son of a bitch, then. Not all stepfathers are bad, but mine was... well, he was _different_. He didn't have the greatest job, and he didn't exactly support us in whichever way you think he should. He thought Midnight was a waste of time, so he got rid of her as quickly as possible,"

Eren's eyes widened with concern. "So your step dad killed your cat? What's her name, Midnight?"

Levi nodded and gradually cupped Eren's cheek, the flicker in his gray eyes betraying his unimpressed mask. "Midnight looked similar to Ryuzaki, except for the white fur on his chest. She had eyes like yours, too. But I guess my _father_ -" _(He spat he word 'father' with a disgusted hiss)_ "- was just looking out for me. It's understandable... in one way or another,"

In a small attempt to cheer Levi up, the brunette said with a small meow, "I can be your new kitten,"

Levi actually smiled at this. _Smiled_. "Cats don't talk, Hunter,"

Eren rolled his eyes and unbuckled his seat belt, but instead of warning Levi, he mewled and swiftly pounced on him. He straddled Levi's lap, ignoring the bothersome strap of the seat belt between them, and let out a small _nyah_. Eren mustered up another decent purr and playfully batted at the tips of Levi's bangs, who was trying his hardest to hold in a laugh. He caught one of Eren's 'paws' and pressed a soft kiss to the knuckles, playfully squeezing and pressing his thumb against the palm of his hand as if playing with the pads of a cat's paw. They both always thought that the phrase 'love is in the air' was complete bullshit, but with the amount of sweet spirit going around, it was almost as if they were intoxicated. What started out as a serious conversation ended up with Eren innocently straddling Levi's lap, both exchanging small pecks to the forehead, cheeks, and chin. While that happened, Levi treated the brunette as if he was a cat; scratching under his chin, playing with the 'fur' around his ears, running a soothing hand down his spine. His lover refused to say actual words, replying to his small statements with mewls and purrs. This was interesting.

"I have something for you," the raven muttered between quick kisses.

A small grin formed on Eren's lips. "_Mreow?_"

Levi rolled his eyes and leaned back in his seat, stretching an arm out to the back where he his his gift. While he rummaged around in the back seat, Eren pressed small kisses to his neck in a playful manner. It took him a moment to realize that Levi was holding a bouquet of roses in front of him. A flustered blush formed on his cheeks when he took the bouquet in his hands, idly sniffing the sweet scent of the roses. It was held together by a velvet ribbon that was neatly tied into a flashy bow, and it looked as if the thorns of the roses were cut off beforehand. There wasn't very many (or rather, it wasn't as puffy with the flower petals), but it was very beautiful; pink, red, and white roses were all bunched together, all perfectly spread out from each other to create some sort of balance that appealed to the eye.

He started to wonder how much the bouquet cost, but more importantly, how did Levi manage to hide that in the back seat without destroying it? Levi also presented him a box of chocolates with an embarrassed look on his face – to him, this seemed like a very cheesy thing to do, but it was better than nothing. Eren's heart fluttered when he took the box of chocolates in his free hand, rubbing the pad of his thumb along the surface of it. The box seemed to be made out of some type of soft material, the feeling being very soft and smooth to the touch, and the fabric seemed to start to ruffle inwards where it met with a small rose. The rose wasn't real, it was also made out of fabric, but it still looked like it could be real (from far away, that is). This must have cost a lot. Some part of him started to feel bad for not getting Levi a gift that was equal to this, or even something more. Levi pressed a sweet open-mouthed kiss to Eren's lips and loosely wrapped his arms around his lover's waist. His usually unimpressed mask was still there, but it softened, and his silver-gray eyes were much brighter with an emotion that was quite hard to understand.

"Happy Valentine's day, brat," Levi said, planting another kiss on the side of his mouth.

Eren buried his face into the rose petals and groaned, "How much did this cost? Shit, my gift doesn't even compare..."

The raven kissed Eren's forehead. "Don't worry about it. The greatest Valentine's day present I could ask for is you,"

"That sounds so cheesy..." he whined into the fluffy bouquet. "I made you heart-shaped cookies as a gift. I got the recipe from Armin the other day, and I managed to make them without burning the house down,"

Levi's chuckled softly with a pleased smile, pulling Eren closer to him in a warm embrace. "Did you write cheesy pickup lines on them?"

"No, I didn't," the brunette placed the bouquet and chocolates on the passenger's seat so they wouldn't get crushed in the embrace. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Why, do you want me to?"

"Nah, it's just a thought," his lover said with a slightly mischievous purr in his tone.

That last sentence sounded like a bad and embarrassing idea waiting to bloom, but Eren brushed the suspicion aside and returned the embrace. The warmth they created was much obliged; it was very cold outside, and hopefully the weather would start to warm up the closer they got to March. It was already dinnertime, but instead of turning in to their homes for the evening, they stayed in Levi's car. A light make-out session followed after their little 'exchange', their kisses being both sweet and passionate. This was the best Valentine's day Eren ever had, and the experience made him squeal inwardly with excitement. To think that he's in an actual relationship, one that he could only dream about. Hopefully their relationship will be one of the best experiences he'll ever have in life.

**o0o0o0o**

_(The next day)_

_ (Friday; Seven o'clock)_

Eren could have sworn his morale skyrocketed. It was such a cheerful time. Almost every student and teacher was lighthearted, just like the season, while others still took their classwork seriously, like Armin, Bertolt, and Marco. Even Mikasa was starting to slack off, but that was only a little bit. She wasn't as strict with homework like she usually was, but pretty soon, she's going to return to her usual self. Finals would probably stab them in the back and give them the worst headaches possible (except for Armin, since he has little to no troubles answering the questions they have on their tests). He spent his afternoon after school doing mindless things, like writing down sweet conversations between hetero and homosexual couples, or idly scrolling through the channel list on the living room TV.

While he flopped down onto the couch, he scrolled through the music list he had in his phone and selected a certain song; the title 'At Last' shined in bright letters on his phone screen as the soft melody started to play. It was a sweet, lighthearted song, that eventually progressed to a voice singing with a soft pitch in her tone. It was a Japanese song that both Levi and Armin recommended, but there were only two songs by Itou Kanako that he's ever listened to. Both of them were songs used in a BL game called 'Dramatical Murder', but he never actually tried to look for other songs used in that game, mainly because the thumbnails he's seen from play-through videos on YouTube scared him away. He tossed his phone from one hand to the other while he listened to the music, his back burning with a relaxed sensation as he idly stretched. His stomach also felt a bit heavy – they ate a pretty big dinner an hour earlier. But at least Eren helped Mikasa with making such a huge dinner, thinking that their father was going to be home to eat it with them. Sadly, he was going to return from his small business trip a little later than expected, so they had the house to themselves... _again_.

Eren only had one earphone on while he swung its twin in circles with quick flicks of the wrist. While he did that, he scrolled through his text messages, the music steadily progressing on to the chorus. He read through a weird conversation he had with Armin a few hours earlier, a small grin tugging at his lips as he started to question how the conversations he has with his best friend end up becoming something crazy. He heard the shuffling sound of socks against the tiled floor, and knowing that it was Mikasa, he looked over his shoulder towards the hallway to greet her. When he opened his mouth to speak, he instantly closed it; Mikasa looked as if she was sick, with an extremely pale face and dark bags under her eyes. It was either she hasn't been sleeping well lately or dinner just didn't agree with her that night. Either way, the sight of her extremely tired frame worried him, so he sat up correctly on the couch to question her.

"Are you all right?"

Mikasa yawned into her scarf, "Yes,"

Eren narrowed his eyes and removed the earphone, tossing the bud (along with his phone) down on the couch with a muted thud. "I can get you something from the medicine cabinet,"

She shook her head at this offer. "I'm not sick, I'm just tired. I've had a lot on my mind lately,"

"Like what?"

It was very likely that Eren would pry. The raven stepped into the kitchen and rummaged through the dishwasher for a cup, trying her hardest to ignore the curious green eyes that were watching her from the couch. The things that she had in mind shouldn't be mentioned to anyone... or rather, they shouldn't be mentioned to Eren. Her brother sighed at her stubbornness and left the warmth of the couch, the chill of the actual temperature running down his spine. For some reason, he had a bad feeling. Trusting his instincts was wise (sometimes), so he decided to tread carefully when Mikasa decided to continue conversation. Mikasa felt Eren's questioning eyes on the back of her head when he leaned against the kitchen counter, so she decided to continue with her own question.

While she pulled out a cup from the dishwasher, she asked, "What do you see in Levi?"

Eren's eyebrows slightly furrowed with confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Has he ever hurt you?"

"Like... physically, when he's teaching me a new fighting stance, or...?"

Mikasa's grip tightened significantly around the cup in her hand. "Eren, please, don't be so dense. That midget isn't what you think he is,"

"What's so wrong with Levi?!" Eren flared at his sister, "No, he's never hurt me! _Never!_ Why are you worrying so much about me, when there's nothing to be worried about?!"

"There _is_ something to worry about," Mikasa muttered, reaching into the fridge for the carton of iced coffee.

The way she acted so casually in this situation pissed Eren off. "Give me a reason, then. You barely met Levi when the school year started! Why do you always have to baby me? Accept the fact that I found someone that I love and want in my life!"

"You love him?" Mikasa asked in disbelief, pouring the iced coffee into her cup and placing it back where it belonged. "Do you even know his last name? His past? His _family?_"

"His last name is fucking Smith! Everyone knows that!" the brunette growled in frustration, watching as she sipped the sweet drink.

"You're avoiding the last two," Mikasa pointed out with a monotonous voice, the sweet taste of the coffee aiding in calming her down. "Do you even know what he's done in the past, Eren? The people that he and his family associate with? The things he's done?"

That was true. He knew next to nothing about Levi's past or family, but that didn't stop him from retorting, "I don't give a damn what he did in the past or what kind of people his family has to put up with! What happened in the past already fucking happened. You barely even met him, so why the hell are you complaining?!"

Mikasa merely shook her head. Eren hissed at her, "You need to quit babying me. I'm not a little kid anymore. We're already grown up, and I don't need you trying to 'protect' me in my life when I obviously don't need it. I'm done. I'm seriously done. I'm tired of your shady act. You act like there's something completely wrong with Levi when there isn't, just because you _think_ you've met him before. I don't need you, Mikasa, and I certainly don't need you babying me like I'm some ten year old. I'm almost seventeen – I'm not your little brother anymore,"

Suddenly, her drink didn't taste so sweet. She realized that she made a mistake bringing up her suspicion, but it wasn't because she wasn't ready to let go of her 'little brother' just yet. There were reasons she didn't want to bring up now. Mikasa numbly held her cup up to her lips, but she didn't take a sip; she heard the unmistakable sound of Eren's frustrated growl, and shortly after, the sound of the door to his room slamming shut. So much for high morale, great spirits, and lighthearted evenings.

As soon as his door slammed, he locked it and ran his fingers through his hair with frustration. He absentmindedly tugged at the locks to calm himself down as he stared at the phone in his hand. Thank God he reached for his phone before he returned to his room; since he wasn't so blinded with his anger, he decided that he's put his phone to good use. At least he didn't have to return out there to retrieve it when he really didn't want to leave his room anymore. He plopped down on his computer chair and ignored its shrill squeak of agony, sighing as he typed in his text message to the first person that came up in his mind.

_'Fuck.'_

That simple message he sent to Levi seemed pointless, but the reply he gained a few seconds later surprised him;_ '- What's wrong? Are you all right?'_

_'Can you pick me up?'_

_ '- It's getting late. Are you going to stay the night?'_

He wondered what Mikasa would think of that, but he clucked his tongue with anger at the very thought of her. _'I guess I am.'_

_'- I'll meet you outside. Bring your PJ's, if you don't already have them on.'_

**o0o0o0o**

He didn't even bother sneaking out, but even if he did, it would be a waste, since Mikasa already returned to her room and shut herself out of the world. The brunette brought his pajamas as requested to, and while he changed in the restroom, Levi stared at his lover's phone screen. There was a faint smudge on it – but what made that statement horrible was the fact that it wasn't a fingerprint. Levi watched as Eren silently fumed on his neatly made bed. He knew something was wrong; Eren didn't even bother greeting him with a kiss, nor did he try to spark conversation at all during the ride home. He gave his own phone a skeptical look and placed it on the counter as he climbed onto the bed, sitting next to Eren, who's frustrated eyes softened.

"What's wrong, kid?" Levi asked, sitting cross-legged in front of Eren.

"Have I ever told you how much I hate family sometimes?" he muttered, avoiding the raven's questioning gray eyes.

"Did you get in an argument with Mikasa?"

Eren sighed and frustratingly gripped his bangs, lightly tugging on the chocolate locks to calm himself down. "Yeah, it was pretty bad. I'm not sure why, but it looks like she hates you. She keeps saying things to me about you, like 'be careful' or 'he's not what he seems'. It's complete bullshit, I swear..."

Levi shifted around a bit in discomfort, but he still stated strongly, "I know she hates me, but that doesn't give her the right to talk shit. Either way, she's your sister, and you're going to have to talk to her at some point. Enough of that fuckery, though... are you sure you're all right? You look like you're dead,"

It was true that Eren looked terrible. The bags under his eyes seemed to look ten times worse than they usually were. "I'm okay. I just don't want to see Mikasa right now. Sorry for bothering you..."

"You may be a brat, but it's not like you bother me,"

Levi leaned in and kissed Eren's forehead, his silver-gray eyes softening when they met with jade-green. They spent the next few hours talking and listening to music, and over time, Eren returned to his usual playful, outgoing self. This relieved Levi greatly; he didn't like seeing Eren in such a foul mood. It didn't matter to him how many times Eren stayed the night, nor did it matter to him if Mikasa talked behind his back. What mattered to him now was his lover's happiness – making sure that Eren's bright green eyes didn't flicker. That night, the brunette fell asleep in Levi's arms in a warm embrace, a thick blanket carelessly tossed over the two. Levi nuzzled into Eren's hair as he absentmindedly stroked the soft locks, knowing that the hair was very sensitive and never failed at calming him down. Eren curled up a bit, his forehead pressed against the raven's firm chest, the reassuring warmth making him sigh with relief. He loved falling asleep in his lover's arms – it felt so perfect.

Levi didn't know how long they were asleep for, but at some point during the night, his phone buzzed loudly on the dresser next to his bed. He was a very light sleeper, and thanks to that, he woke up with just a small buzz from his phone. It was hell sometimes, but at some situations, he was glad he was a light sleeper. His eyes throbbed with fatigue as he lazily opened them, the sight of Eren sleeping peacefully in his arms making him sigh in astonishment. Eren was just so... _beautiful_. He reached over to the counter with one hand while the other started to play with Eren's messy hair, the bright light coming from his screen making him wince. It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the brightness, and when they did, he saw that someone sent him a text. The furrow in his eyebrows deepened with suspicion... the person that sent him the text had a very familiar number, one that he's seen on Eren's phone before. When he opened and read the message, his heart felt as if it came to a painful stop.

_'Does he know your real age?'_


	13. Secret

**Note:** I really like how my lovely reviewers are thinking Levi is a _major_ pedophile. You guys are great. This fanfiction is currently taking place is 2013, and will finish in 2014. Hooray for the graduating class of 2014! Nyahaha... I wonder if anyone even pays attention to these...

**Disclaimer:** Look, Mom, no disclaimers!

* * *

_**Chapter Thirteen; Secret**_

_(Next week)_

_ (Thursday; noon)_

The weekend went by... normally, in a sense. God knows what 'normal' was, but besides Eren purposely avoiding Mikasa, then yes, the weekend was no different than any other. Except for the fact that Levi seemed a bit colder than usual. The beginning of the week was just like every other, but Levi seemed to be a bit less... affectionate towards Eren. The brunette hated the cold feelings in the morning, and he questioned why Levi seemed to be missing more often than usual. Armin was just as cheerful as usual, and he even got Bertolt to laugh a bit louder than he normally would. Progression. Eren sighed as he stared around in the library; no sight of gray eyes or raven-like hair. Levi honestly preferred staying in the library for lunch rather than sitting in the benches outside with everyone else, mainly because of how dusty the benches were. Besides the times he spent after school cleaning certain areas, everything was just as dirty as it always has been, with maybe a new spiderweb or two. He decided to go try to find Armin outside when he gave up his search, a small prickle running down his spine as an uneasy feeling when the door to the library closed behind him. Eren didn't notice the silver-gray eyes watching him leave.

"Piece of shit,"

Levi stalked out from behind a bookshelf, dragging a very reluctant Armin right behind him. The blonde was too weak to struggle against his restraint, and he wouldn't like to cause a scene in the library by calling for help, so he merely walked with heavy steps right behind Levi. They stopped at the corner that Levi and Eren would usually sit at, and they took seats right across from each other. Levi crossed one leg over the other (like he usually would when accompanying his mother in a business meeting) while Armin rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. What happened Friday night shocked Levi, but it didn't scare him. Shock and scare are two separate things. He's not scared of Mikasa, just a bit shocked of what she knows. He knew it was Mikasa from the very start; whenever Eren was over at his house, she'd call just to make sure if he was alright, and over time, he became familiar with her number. He spent the last few days trying to ignore what happened, but the death glare he'd gain from dangerously pitched eyes during their Student Government meetings pushed him to embracing the fact that he'll have to tell Eren one of his 'little' secrets – sooner, rather than later.

Levi leaned back a bit in his seat and stated very simply; "I need you to do me a favor,"

Armin's folded arms tightened when he shook his head and snapped, "I'm not telling Eren anything for you!"

"You're such a brat," he sighed, rolling his eyes at Armin's pleased smirk. "That's not what I was going to ask you to do,"

"I'm not going to throw so many obvious hints that he probably wouldn't understand just so he could go ask you for himself,"

"... That's actually kind of smart, but no, that's not what I was going to ask. I just need you to explain a thing or two for me,"

"He knows, doesn't he?" the blonde sighed in relief and unfolded his arms, leaning forward and propping his head up on two folded hands. "All right, let it out,"

"How did you find out?"

That was a very simple question that was hard to answer. Armin bit his lip and planned out the easiest and quickest way to explain to Levi, who was watching him with his usual unimpressed mask (but just underneath that mask was a very faint sign of guilt). "Well... I don't want to insult you, but you really should have thought something out before you went back to school. It would have been so easy to say that you're a foreign exchange student from Germany, or France – if you don't speak German fluently, then use French, because I know you speak that language fluently. You still do, right?"

"Oui, je le fais," Levi sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with frustration. "Cela aurait rendu les choses dix fois plus facile. Pourquoi n'ai-je pas pensé putain de cela?"

Armin didn't understand what he just said, but he had a vague idea of what it could have meant. "Don't worry about it, all right? You can charm him with your French later. Now, back to the topic... I found it really weird how we've never met before. If we did, it was probably for a brief moment, because I know you don't like to stand around and make acquaintances. The curiosity was killing me, so I looked through previous year books... and I saw that your picture wasn't there. I thought you just switched schools after you moved or something, but when I checked the year book from two-thousand-ten -"

"- you found my picture from Sophomore year," Levi finished for him.

"_Three_ years ago... with a different surname," Armin added, his eyes drooping at the sight of Levi's guilt finally starting to shatter the unimpressed mask. "I still don't know how you managed to disappear for three years, but I have a few ideas on how. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but you need to tell Eren the truth,"

"... And my name?"

"That's up to you. Why or how you changed your last name isn't my business, and you probably won't tell anyone no matter what happens,"

"Hmph... yearbooks usually have their names under their pictures, right? Damn..."

Armin shook his head, which gave the raven a little hope. "In case you don't remember, there's a list of names on the side of the paper in the order that the students are placed on each page. No one really looks through the list, they just look through the pictures and try to find themselves,"

Their conversation might as well end there, but Armin was still curious about one thing. He hesitated for a moment before asking, "I... I know this might be a little personal, and you don't have to answer it if you don't want to, but... if you were gone for three years, then how are you four years older than us? If Eren's sixteen, and you're twenty..."

An embarrassed blush founds its way onto Levi's cheekbones when he responded with a flustered mutter, "I... _might_ have flunked sixth grade... various reasons... bullshit and whatnot..."

There was a very long pause after Levi trailed off with soft murmurs. Armin knew not to prod any longer, and the reason why Levi failed to complete sixth grade wasn't his business, but he couldn't deny the curiosity he felt. Levi was a very smart student... if he flunked a grade, then does that mean he wasn't always a good student? So many questions needed to be answered. Oh well, time will tell... hopefully sooner rather than later. The deep sigh Levi let out gained his attention once more.

"You've known the brat for more than half of your life -" _(Levi unfolded his leg and faced Armin again, cold gray eyes meeting sky blue with a small flicker) _"- Do you think he'll accept this as well as you did?"

"Well – Eren's kinda... hardheaded," Armin replied. "You know how he can get. I'm not sure how his exact reaction will be. Pick your words_ carefully_,"

That could have been a small form of a threat, but the raven merely shrugged. He paused for another long moment before asking Armin with a questioning raise of the eyebrow, "And just how the hell did you take it so well?"

"Huh?" Armin thought for a moment and answered, "Not everyone is what they seem, and I'm sure you had your reasons to leave. Everyone has their own secrets, though... including me,"

"Oh?" Levi leaned forward in his seat and continued with a smirk, "And how could an innocent little sugar plum fairy like you have any secrets?"

A flustered blush formed on the blonde's cheeks, but despite this, he shrugged and said with a devious tone in his voice, "I have the attitude, but not the physical strength,"

Levi chuckled lightly at this and absentmindedly muttered, "Gosse de merde,"

He caught what Levi said and narrowed his blue eyes. "Did you just insult me?"

The raven merely grinned. "Oh, regardez, le gamin est plus intelligent que lui mène,"

Armin groaned in frustration. Some part of him regret taking two years of Spanish for an elective instead of French.

**o0o0o0o**

_(Next day)_

_ (Friday; noon)_

It was lunchtime again, and Eren was getting very tired of everything that's been going on. Ever since that argument he had with Mikasa, nothing has been right; Levi was acting shadier than usual and Mikasa would always give him an apologetic look before sinking back into the shadows of her bedroom. Eren was just about ready to vent to Armin on their way to the lunch area after third period, but halfway there, he met up with Levi. Both Armin and Levi exchanged quick looks before the blonde scurried off to talk to Jean, leaving the two to wordlessly walk to the library. It was almost natural to them – it was very rare that they were anywhere but the library together. Eren tried to spark conversation, but his lover merely hummed in acknowledgement rather than responding with something that wouldn't kill the feeble attempt. Now would be the day that Eren finally gets to the bottom of things.

The library was quiet, as usual; various students were quietly whispering to each other over their books, others were browsing through the bookshelves, and some were typing away on the computers. The librarian and her assistant (Annie) were discussing something, a rather thick book placed between them. The brunette was going to walk to their corner, but he was taken by surprise when Levi turned to the front desk instead, not giving the empty table a second look. (Or did he even look at it in the first place?) The librarian let out a hushed laugh while Annie grinned, but she immediately snapped back to her usual stern frame when she saw Levi. Annie followed in suit and quietly cleared her throat, stalking off behind the front desk to retrieve books that needed to be placed in their spots.

"How may I help you, dear?" the librarian asked, flashing both Levi and Eren a fake smile.

Levi looked uncomfortable when he replied; "I wanted to know if I could look at an old year book. One from two-thousand-ten,"

"Of course you can," she nodded and called over to Annie, who was carrying a rather heavy stack of books in her arms, "Leonhart, can you go to the back and find a year book from twenty-ten?"

Annie gave her stack of books a tired look and left them on the counter, quickly trotting off to the back room and disappearing from sight. Eren raised an eyebrow in suspicion; why did Levi want an old yearbook? Was he looking for someone he might have known? No, that couldn't be it – the raven was new to the school. So many questions filled his head, and he only snapped out of his trance when Annie returned with the yearbook, handing it to them and picking up her abandoned stack of books. While they hurried off to their corner, the librarian muttered something about them having to return the yearbook before the end of lunch. There was nothing to worry about with that... it was more than enough time... or at least Levi hoped. They took seats right across from each other, and after a small moment of silence, Levi shot him a slightly guilty look – though most of that emotion was hidden under his unimpressed mask. The yearbook had a hard cover and was completely black, the faint outlines of shooting stars and glitter printed out in a light gray color. The title was very bold and was surrounded with multicolored stars, proudly presenting: 'Wings of Freedom – 2010 Memories'.

Eren watched as his lover wordlessly flipped through a few pages, skipping to the first or second section of the book and scanning the pages. He gave something on the page a disgusted look and looked up at Eren, who was still watching him through curious eyes. Those green eyes... they were almost breathtaking. Levi bit his lip and closed the yearbook, placing his thumb between the pages he wanted to show the brunette so he wouldn't lose it. He thought of something to say before he handed the yearbook to Eren.

Levi stated simply: "I'm older than you,"

He handed Eren the yearbook, who opened up to the saved page with a confused look. "What do you mean? Your birthday's in December, doesn't that mean I'm a couple of months older than you?"

Levi stood up in his seat and leaned over the table, directing Eren's eyes with his finger to a specific point in the yearbook page. "Not exactly, brat. Your birthday may be in March, but I'm still older than you,"

Eren's eyes widened when he saw familiar raven-like hair and cold gray eyes. The picture of Levi was placed between two students that he's never seen before, his unimpressed mask very bold and his gray eyes as cold as winter. He shook his head in disbelief and looked at the cover of the book, reading the number two-thousand-ten, then rereading it over just to make sure. This wasn't right. He looked up at Levi through large eyes, his usually bright green tint starting to dim with confusion.

"That's not right... this photo was taken three years ago... you're... I thought you were..."

Levi sat back down in his seat and confirmed with a sigh, "I'm twenty years old, Eren,"

The fact that the raven actually used his name instead of some form of nickname or insult meant that it was true. He stared back at Levi's yearbook photo with a skeptical look, a very heavy feeling starting to build up deep within his heart. If he remembered correctly, that 'feeling' was an emotion he never wanted to experience again in his life... it was betrayal. But what was there to feel betrayed about? Or was it just shock?

"... That's not true..."

Levi's hands found their way to his knees, and he immediately clutched the rough fabric of his jeans, his nails sinking into the clothed skin. "It is. Three years ago, I attended Freedom High as a Sophomore. I told you before, Eren, my past isn't filled with unicorns and God damn sparkles. You already know that I had a stepfather, and at the time, life was fucking me up the ass without any lubricant and that son of a bitch that I had to call my 'father' seriously didn't know that enough was enough. I always wanted to join the military, ever since I was a little kid, and that urge to go was starting to get uncomfortable by the end of Sophomore year. When the year was over, I told Erwin that I wanted to join the military, but that asshole mocked me and told me that I probably wouldn't last more than three days. I proved him wrong – I didn't last three days, I lasted three years,"

The information slowly started to sink into Eren's mind, and at some point in Levi's explanation, he gave the picture one last doubtful look before closing the yearbook. So that meant that Levi was overage – that he would have probably been in college at that moment if he didn't join the military. That explained a few things to the brunette; why he was so shady and why he always cut people off or ended the conversation at the mention of his birthday and age. In the beginning of the school year, Petra was very close to spilling the information of Levi coming back from the military, and earlier that month, Hanji mentioned something about Levi walking her to school when she was younger. It all made sense now. Was the truth supposed to hurt? Eren's hands were balled up into tight fists, his knuckles starting to turn white while dents were made in the palm of his hand with his fingernails. It was unbelievable... did Levi not trust him enough to tell him earlier? The way Armin was acting when Hanji mentioned the raven's past – Armin knew as well? It pissed him off so much. Levi absentmindedly caressed some of the bracelets on his wrists while he stared out the window, watching as a couple of students walked past them, talking animatedly to each other and playfully knocking elbows. How much he wished to be out there right now rather than having this conversation with Eren, but it was necessary. The truth needed to be told... or at least some of it.

"A few months after I hit my nineteenth birthday in the military, Erwin and I got into contact, and he told me that things were starting to lighten up. I swear, that bastard has a persuasive tongue – no matter how many times Petra tried to get me to come back, I always refused, but when Erwin mentioned becoming the vice-principle of this shitty school, I finally accepted. He offered me a role and a couple of other things that aren't important right now. I came back a month before this school year started, and that was when I started to get comfortable with the new life my mother found while I was gone,"

Eren's anger started to get the best of him – it seemed like everyone knew about his little 'secret' (no, it wasn't even little in the_ slightest_), everyone except him, and he's Levi's _boyfriend_. How the hell did he not know? Levi and Hanji knew each other for such a long time... how was Petra any more special? What was her relationship with Levi when he was in the military? Just how much does she know? Eren bit his lip with frustration, but he nearly yelped when he felt the tips of his sharp teeth break the soft skin of his lip. Small droplets of blood started to emerge from the wound, and before Levi could see where he bit himself, he licked off the blood, trying to stop the flow by keeping his lips shut tight in a grim line.

There was another emotion building up within him, adding to the overall car crash in his sick and twisted little world; anger, depression, betrayal, curiosity, confusion, even _jealousy _(towards Petra, no doubt). He knew he shouldn't be covetous in this situation, but he couldn't help it. When he finally met Levi's gaze, the emotion of depression started to overcome the rest – Levi's cold, unimpressed mask was still there, but there was a very strong spark of guilt in his gray eyes. The raven sighed and straightened up in his seat, trying his hardest to break eye contact with Eren, but it just didn't work. The way Eren's bright green eyes darkened at the sight of him was almost heartbreaking. Does that mean that their relationship is over? Was the truth really going to jeopardize their relationship? If that was so, then Levi might as well cut it off now... but he couldn't. When the words 'I'm breaking up with you' came to his mind, he felt his throat clench painfully. No, that wasn't going to happen anytime soon – he won't let it happen. But what if he just left Eren alone in the first place? Ignoring the constant feeling of familiarity of seeing those green eyes before, when he knows for certain they've never met?

Levi cleared his throat and started, "Hunter -"

"- No, Levi,"

It surprised Levi greatly that Eren would actually interrupt him at a time like this. His lover stood up from his seat, his green eyes clouded with mixed emotions. "We should just... turn in the yearbook already... the bell's going to ring in a few minutes, anyways..."

When Eren said those words, he took the yearbook in his hands, but his feet refused to move. He merely stood there, locked in a gaze with Levi, one that was actually starting to frustrate him. Levi left his seat, not even bothering to take his messenger bag with him, and met Eren on the other side. He took the yearbook that was offered to him, but his hand brushed over the brunette's. Levi gripped Eren's hand and gave it a firm squeeze to reassure him, but his heart sunk deeper into darkness when he saw Eren retract his unresponsive hand as if it had been burned. That wasn't a good thing. Eren gave him an irritated look and grabbed his backpack, swinging it over his shoulder and speeding out of the library without a second look back. Levi's grip on the yearbook strengthened significantly, the tips of his fingers turning an even paler white as they pushed against the hard cover. He felt his heart throb painfully at the sight of the library door closing, the hurt flash of green eyes leaving, along with the warm atmosphere. It was so frigid... it was almost frightening. The internal pain Levi felt was hard to describe... but it wasn't something that _a little_ external pain couldn't handle...

**o0o0o0o**

"Jesus, Eren, answer me! Eren?"

It took Eren a moment to snap out of his angered thoughts. Armin was sitting next to him today, because for some odd reason, Levi didn't show up for fourth period. After Eren left his lover at the library with an angered change of gait, he heard nothing from him, nor did he get a single text. Eren debated whether to text Levi or not, but when he tried to compose a new message, every single idea of a greeting slipped away from his mind. He didn't know what to say... but it wasn't like he wanted to say anything to the raven at the moment. Rico was at the back of the room at her own desk, pushing her glasses further up the bridge of her nose with one hand while the other fluently typed away at her computer. Most of the students were already done with their classwork and started to visit each other, some of them whispering bullshit gossip when they saw that Levi wasn't with Eren. Something about them breaking up or whatnot. It might as well be true, considering the pain Eren felt in his heart. It wasn't pain of heartbreak, rather it was pain of betrayal, confusion, and frustration alike. There were so many emotions he felt, to the point where it was almost overwhelming – it was hard to choose just one.

"Eren!" Armin whined, weakly nudging his shoulder with a small notepad in his hand. "Quit ignoring me!"

Eren merely shook his head, ignoring the hands that batted at his shoulder for attention. When their eyes finally met, Armin immediately stopped his playful actions with an internal gasp; the eyes he met were clouded with mixed emotions, but if he had to guess, it was with frustration. He's never seen Eren look like that before. Those bright green eyes were usually filled with joy, curiosity, or ignorance – the three things that were natural... whatever 'natural' may be in Eren's case. He figured that Levi already told him, so on instinct, his lively and playful manner turned to a more calm and soothing pitch.

Armin tucked away his notepad and asked with a soft voice, "Didn't go out so well?"

"You knew, didn't you?" Eren spat, stubbornly crossing his arms and turning his back towards the blonde.

"Eren," he whined again, scooting closer to his friend and gently (yet firmly) gripping his shoulders. "Before you jump to conclusions, no, Levi never told me anything. I did the research on my own, and I told him how I did it so he could tell you. I know nothing more than you do,"

"But... why did he keep it from me?" Eren sighed, his head drooping down with confusion, to the point where his chin nearly met with his chest. "... Does he not trust me?"

"You sound like you're hurting," Armin said, removing his hands from Eren's shoulders to wrap his arms around him. Eren gladly accepted the embrace – to comfort him further, Armin continued, "Look, don't think those things, okay? Levi likes you a lot, and I mean _a lot_. He may not show or say it, but you're starting to become his everything. I'd say it's true love, but he's too stubborn to show that,"

"How do you know?" the brunette growled. Of course, Armin would know more than he did. Just what kind of boyfriend was he if he knew less of Levi than anyone else did? "Why the fuck am I always kept in the dark?"

Armin's embrace tightened as he rest his head against Eren's. "You know me, I like making up weird theories that may or may not be true. The way that Levi looks at you... I'm kind of jealous. You two have a strong relationship... don't let this one little secret destroy what you have already. It's been a long time since I've seen you look so torn apart from confusion and frustration, and I seriously don't want to see it again,"

"That's because I'm always kept in the dark. I want to know what's going on... if we really do have a strong relationship, then why is he keeping secrets from me? Why doesn't he trust me? I hate having so many questions... they might as well be questions of science at this point, ones that can only be 'solved' by theories," Eren pushed Armin's comforting hands away and turned back around to face him, green eyes meeting concerned blue ones. "I don't know what to do. He's nearly old enough to drink, Armin, and I'm not even old enough to be able to legally live on my own. I'm just... a brat, I guess... what does he even see in me...?"

Sky blue eyes flickered in a depressed manner and drooped. "Eren, don't say that. There's so many things that he sees in you – no, there's so many things that_ anyone_ could see in you. It's hard to miss; your eyes, the way you help people that you don't even know, how accepting you are sometimes, how cute you can be,"

Eren blushed with embarrassment and let out a weak laugh, a small smile forming on his lips. "Don't say those things, it'll kill me... but still... you really know how to cheer me up, you know that? Sometimes, I wish you were my brother,"

This made Armin's cheerful mood flow back in like a waterfall. The blonde nodded vigorously and grinned, "It's the least I could do, right? I don't like seeing you in a bad mood – it's not like you at all,"

Eren sighed and leaned back in his seat, watching as his friend slipped the notepad out from his pocket and play with it in his hands. "Then... what do you think I should do?"

Armin thought for a moment while he threw the notepad into the air in a spinning motion, nimbly catching in in his hand and repeating the process. "Well, that's your decision, really. It just depends on what you feel. If you want to talk it out with him, then go for it. Tell him that you're tired of being kept in the dark. Or... you can take some time over the weekend to think about it, if that's what you're comfortable with. What's the worst that can happen?"

"I don't know, someone else could die?" Eren suggested with a grim tone, the thought of the murders that had happened the past year slowly starting to sink into his mind.

He was thankful that they finally came to a stop – but why they came to a stop was a bit suspicious. That reminded him; he needed to catch up on his writing. He had a vague image of what he could write in the latest chapter, and some part of him felt bad for having Levi and Armin correct all of the grammar and spelling mistakes. As if the mentions of those accidents were a curse, Armin threw the notepad a little too high and failed at catching it, hitting the bridge of his nose with the sharp edge of the cardboard back. He mewled in minor pain and massaged the abused skin while Eren tried his hardest not to burst out laughing. Armin didn't mind the pain, as long as his best friend was smiling again.

Eren nudged Armin's shoulder and hummed, "Thanks, Armin. I guess I'll talk to him after school when I see him,"

The blonde let out a surprised gasp and stared around the room. "Hey – where is Levi, anyways? I thought he showed up to school today..."

"He did. I don't know where he is, though..."

Now that Eren thought of it, the hurt look Levi had on his face was almost scary; his eyes betraying his entire tough act, oddly darkened from the usual silvery-gray to a stone-like black with self-loathing and guilt. Eren's instincts told him to panic. Levi mentioned something about his past being awful, about how he somehow hurt every person that came into his life. His eyes widened when he realized that... he probably gave Levi the impression that he was going to turn out to be another one of those people that he hurt. He pieced the facts together in his mind while Armin cheerfully sang a sweet Japanese song under his breath – if his lover didn't show up for fourth period after he gave the impression of leaving him...

… does that mean that he actually managed to_ hurt_ Levi?

**o0o0o0o**

He didn't see Levi at all the next two periods after his fourth. As soon as the bell rang for sixth period, he hurried out of the classroom, hoping with all his heart that Levi was waiting for him. He wanted to see the usual cold gray eyes brighten when they met with green, his stiff posture softening and his mouth spilling smart ass remarks that would make Eren laugh. To his horror, Levi wasn't there – as his first instinct, he sped off towards the student parking lot, hoping to see the spotless black car waiting for him. This wouldn't be the first time he accidentally hurt someone; out of all the relationships he's ever had, he's hurt the other in one way or another, which eventually resulted in their separation. He didn't want that to happen again, not with Levi. His ignorance won't be the reason why their relationship fails. It doesn't matter if Levi is overage, it doesn't matter if there's an age gap – hell, it doesn't matter if Levi kept that secret from him. The raven has his reasons to keep secrets from people, just as Eren does, himself. He rushed through campus, ignoring the angry calls of students that he bumped into, until eventually, he arrived at the student parking lot.

His breath came out in ragged pants as his eyes searched for Levi's car. His lover would usually park somewhere off to the corner and away from the rest of the vehicles, and to his greatest disappointment, Levi's car was gone. It was no where to be found. Eren felt frustrated tears well up in the corners of his eyes – he immediately went for his phone to call, but when he tried to start it up, nothing happened. His phone was dead. He let out a quick sigh of anger and pushed those tears away, his frustration gradually sinking to self-loathing. Everything was starting to turn on him.

_'What have I done?'_

**o0o0o0o**

_(Later on that night)_

An opened bottle of sleeping pills was placed next to Eren's desktop, carelessly tipped over and spilling its contents out onto the desk. His eyes were bloodshot and raged at him to allow them to slide blissfully shut, but he simply refused to do so. Every so often he'd reach off to his right and grab the cup of coffee that was packed with as much sugar as he pleased, taking quick sips before putting it back down. He flicked his eyes to the bottom right corner of his computer screen to check the time, almost immediately swiveling back to what he was typing right afterward. The last time he checked the time, it was eleven o'clock at night, and now the clock read eight-thirty in the morning. He actually stayed up all night without even knowing it.

He spent the last few hours typing out a new chapter for his novel, but every time he finished the chapter, he'd read over it with only a portion of mind still in tact and delete everything he wrote for that week. Nothing he wrote pleased him. At some point, he rummaged through the medicine cabinet without Mikasa knowing and pulled out a stray bottle of sleeping pills. The pills were very weak, but after taking two or three (depending on the person's weight), they'd work very effectively. Eren decided to torture himself – he doesn't remember how many sleeping pills he took, but after each pill, he'd drink a cup of coffee, the caffeine and medicine fighting for dominance. In the end, the caffeine won – he was very well aware of the consequences, and the fact that he may even die of overdose, but that didn't matter to him now. He was just about ready to kiss his relationship with Levi goodbye, but just that thought brought in so many painful memories; failed relationships, pointless arguments with close friends and family... his mother's death. At this point, he didn't care anymore.

Eren always knew he was a curse.

Mikasa rummaged around in the kitchen to make coffee. When she passed by Eren's room, she heard fluent typing. She knew that Eren stayed up all night, considering the fact that she heard Eren wander around a couple of times during the night, the sound of a spoon mixing the milk, coffee, and sugar together in a mug faintly being heard through the door. While the dull buzzing sound of the coffee maker accompanied the sweet warbling of birds outside, she leaned against the counter and sighed, rubbing her temples in an attempt to ease her mind. The amount of stress she had on her shoulders was starting to overwhelm her. At some point, she heard a faint buzzing sound off in the distance, one that was very different from the coffee maker – it was more like a vibration. Mikasa's head instinctively jerked towards the direction of the sound to investigate, and to her surprise, she saw that it was Eren's phone. Her brother's phone was usually set on vibrate during the weekdays, so she figured that he probably forgot to turn the ring tone back on when he arrived home from school on Friday.

Out of curiosity, she picked the phone up and flopped back down on the couch; her eyes darkened when she saw that the caller ID was 'Levi'. If she was correct, Eren was complaining to her about how frustrating things could be, and when she guessed that the matter was about Levi, he immediately shut up. At around midnight, they ran into each other while she was on the way to the restroom, and she saw that he looked extremely tired. He mentioned something about being a curse before stalking off to the kitchen with his coffee mug. The reason must be because of Levi, she just knew it. Her warnings shouldn't have been taken so lightly. A dark idea formed in her mind when the phone continued to vibrate, and right when the phone was about to take Levi to the voice mail, she pressed the pad of her thumb against the green answer button.

She brought it up to her ear and answered with a monotonous voice, "Hello, yes?"

There was a small pause before Levi asked with a dark tone, _"Where's Eren?"_

"Probably sulking in his room. He mentioned the word 'hurts', but I couldn't really tell over the sobs. I wonder why..."

_"Shut the fuck up. I know you're bullshitting with me. Eren is stronger than that,"_

Mikasa laid back on the couch and absentmindedly played with the fluffy ends of her scarf. "How do you know? You barely met him a few months ago. Don't act like you actually know him,"

A faint laugh was heard over the phone. _"I do know him. Maybe not as much as a certain _bitch_ that I _hate_, but enough to know that he hates siblings that treat him like he's a fucking six-year-old,"_

"You think you're smart, don't you? There's a reason why I protect him like he's my own child. I don't like hearing about some pain-in-the-ass midget ruining his day with dark secrets and lies. The amount of times he's come to me complaining about you, it's almost frustrating. Let's see... something about you being shady? Something about him feeling out of place around you?"

She grinned when she heard a shaky sigh over the phone, but his voice came back just as strongly, _"I know that's not true,"_

Mikasa knew she was hitting a little too close to home by now, and that fact urged her on. "Oh, no, of course it is! Why would I lie in a situation like this? It's Eren we're talking about. I guess it's safe to say that Eren had just about given up on you. He's probably trying to get you out of his head at the moment. If you really think you know him well, then let me burst your little bubble and give you something to add to your book; once he pushes someone or something out of his life, there's no chance of getting back in,"

There was a very long pause after that.

_"... You bitch,"_

Mikasa let out a bitter laugh. "You know I'm right. You're probably the reason why he's been hurting lately. He told me that he was so frustrated, but at least he takes that frustration out by typing up people's deaths, right? There's nothing wrong with that, and it should stay that way – it'd be a shame if he took it out with external wounds, like a certain shady someone we _think_ we know. Maybe I should tell him what happened ten years ago,"

The sound of a door closing was heard over the phone, and Levi's dark tone was heard with a very faint echo, _"Think that's a threat?"_

"Of course I do, Ackerman. How's Kenny? Is he still forcing blood on your hands?"

_"For the last time, my name isn't Ackerman. Who the fuck is Kenny, anyways?"_

"Don't play dumb with me. I know who you are. If you don't stay away from Eren, I'll see to your funeral personally. Leaving him alone shouldn't be so hard. He'll be avoiding you, anyways. But it's not like you care, right? You never did,"

A sharp _tink _was heard over the phone before the line was cut off. Mikasa sighed and threw the phone back down on the cushion next to her with a muted thud. The strong scent of coffee was starting to fill the air, signaling that the coffee maker was done brewing. She got up from the couch with a heavy heart – she knew what she did was wrong to a certain degree, but it was necessary. Eren is worth much more than that.

Her thoughts were poisoned with minor remorse as she poured the steaming coffee into her mug; _'I'm sorry, Eren... I love you so much. I don't want you to get hurt, and I certainly don't want to loose what little family I have left. I just hope you understand...'_

* * *

**Extra Note:**

These are only translations and small replies to reviews. Skip/Skim through if you want.

_Chibi Nagisa Sakura and merlinlovergirl123:_ You say that now, but once it actually comes up, you'll uppercut me for doing such horribad things to my poor baby Levi. Is it okay if I twist things to that bad of a degree? Insert neatly drawn heart here.

I forgot to mention this before:

_Princess Asterezintia Rose and Starlight Nyx:_ You both gave me really bad heart attacks. I'm proud. Now, I have a question to both of you about why/how you guessed those things about Levi; I'm not necessarily saying you're both wrong or right, but can you also guess _why?_ Also (this is more to Rose, by the way), things in the plot would have gone terribly wrong if I made Levi any older than 24. If he was 24, he would have been in 6th grade when Eren, Armin, Mikasa, Hanji, and the rest were in kindergarten, so they most likely wouldn't have met. There's also another really big reason, but I can't tell you now due to spoilers~

Translations:

1. Oui, je le fais = Yes, I do

2. Cela aurait rendu les choses dix fois plus facile. Pourquoi n'ai-je pas pensé putain de cela? = That would have made things ten times easier. Why didn't I fucking think of that?

3. Gosse de merde = Shitty brat

4. Oh, regardez, le gamin est plus intelligent que lui mène = Oh look, the brat is smarter than he leads on

I used Google translator (English to French), so I don't know if those are the correct translations.


	14. Crimson

**Note:** My reviewers are so smart and actually pay attention, it's scary, like holy shit. You guys are going to love the other Riren fic I'm working on if you like this one (but it won't be up until later on this year, sadly). This chapter got way too long for comfort, so I cut it in half. This one is important to the story, just like the other half will be, so the titles will be synonyms/related colors (using part 1 and part 2 is too mainstream). I'm still making you wait for 2 or 3 days, though. Insert poorly drawn heart here.

**Disclaimer:** Life without you is like a broken pencil; it's _pointless_.

* * *

_**Chapter Fourteen; Crimson**_

_(Sunday Night)_

The weekend was hell. After Eren finally knocked out on his keyboard around ten o'clock on Saturday night, he woke up a few hours later with his head pounding and his stomach burning as if it were being ripped right out of his abdomen (along with the rest of the organs surrounding it). As soon as he reached the restroom, he stumbled on the way in and kicked the door closed; he didn't make it to the toilet, so he ended up vomiting in the sink. At least it didn't get on the counter, though, because Mikasa would have killed him for that. Multicolored lights were flashing before his eyes as he wretched over the sink, small moans of pain leaving his lips before he hoarsely coughed and vomited once more. At some point, he started to taste the stomach acid in his mouth, a dull burning sensation felt running up and down his esophagus. Some part of him really didn't care – that's what he gets for overdosing, and it was a miracle that his body was able to handle it. Going to the doctor may not be necessary, and he would without a doubt piss Grisha off. At some point, Mikasa came in and brought him a glass of water, which he gladly took. For some reason, she didn't seem to care about him coughing out his insides, nor did it look like she was going to question why. That was odd... did he really see a flash of guilt in her eyes?

He was very weak the next day, but at around dinnertime, he didn't have a pain or headache anymore; he was just tired as hell. Eren typed away at his novel, but at some point, he blacked out – to his relief, he snorted awake only fifteen minutes later, his fingers still glued to the keys. His face raised in temperature with embarrassment when he saw that he blacked out in a middle of a sentence, being left with: _'Mitabi watched as his comraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa -'_. The letter 'a' kept going on forever after that. While he highlighted the huge wall of A's to delete them, he yawned into the back of his hand and rubbed his tired eyes. They burned at the contact and screamed at him to let them slide blissfully shut, but he wouldn't allow that to happen again. Honestly, he tired himself out with something other than the abuse he inflicted upon himself with the caffeine and sleeping pills. That whole time he spent in bed watching television or playing video games to ease the stomach pain (that was very slowly fading away), his thoughts were pinned to Levi. He knew he had to set things right. He didn't receive a text or call from Levi at all since the incident, and that made him start to worry. He merely sat at his computer desk, lost in his own thoughts, unaware that the room around him was slowly turning to a very dark pitch as the light outside started to fade. The only light source left was the lights coming from the hallway that was barely showing through the gap under his door and his computer screen.

While he thought over how to swallow his pride and apologize to Levi, he came to a conclusion, that the best time would be on Monday once everything cooled down. He stretched his back out and grunted in relief at the popping in his spine, a slight burning sensation running down his back as the tense muscles finally started to loosen. It's been a long day. As soon as he started to read over what he had written so far in his story, he heard his phone ring. The sudden loud music (his ring tone) nearly made him jump a mile, and he was surprised that he flinched instead of falling off his seat. Tearing his eyes away from the paragraph he was reading over, he looked at his phone that was just right next to the keyboard. He sighed in relief when he saw that the call was from Armin; he needed someone to talk to after the hell he went through. The brunette picked up the smart phone and quickly pressed the answer button, bringing up to his ear to greet his childhood friend. He didn't get the chance to, though – Armin cut him off completely.

_"I don't care what you're doing. Contact your boyfriend. Now,"_

His tired eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What happened?"

A loud mewl was heard over the phone, along with the sound of a bed creaking. Armin must be getting up to go feed his cat. He was correct:_ "I'd tell you, but Ryuzaki wants a snack. I'll text you later,"_

The phone was immediately hung up after that. This was strange – Armin was never one to hurry up with conversations like that, and what was more was that the blonde spoke very curtly, as if he was stressed, in a hurry, or simply pissed off. Eren did as he was told, switching to the message box and scrolling down the contact list. He tapped on Levi's name and picked the 'text message' option, flipping the smart phone sideways and gliding his thumbs along the smooth screen to each letter. For some reason, his stomach was in knots – his insides twisted and turned, and his instincts told him to worry.

_'Are you okay?'_

The message was sent, and it was successfully received. Eren waited for Levi to text back, but he never did. After ten minutes of waiting, Eren picked up the phone again and sent another text, though this time, his actions were a little hasty with concern.

_'Do you want to talk?'_

Twenty more minutes with no reply. He was starting to get desperate.

_'Levi, answer me already.'_

No reply.

Just what the fuck was happening? Eren's eyes widened with panic when he saw that Levi still didn't reply to him, even after three text messages. He waited five minutes after he sent the last text, his panic starting to get the better of him. What the hell did Levi do? Why wasn't he answering? He scrolled through the contacts list with panicked flicks of the thumb, impatiently picking his name and pressing the call button. He raised the phone up to his ear and was greeted with a dull ringing sound that would take frequent brakes before continuing again. He impatiently tapped a finger on his keyboard while he waited – just when he thought Levi wasn't going to pick up, he heard the sound of the phone finally picking up, along with the sound of a very faint hiss coming from the other line. To Eren's horror, it sounded pained, but just crazy thoughts started to pour into his mind, he heard Levi's voice.

"_I thought you needed your space,"_

He silently praised the Lord that his voice was still strong like it always was when he answered the phone. His worries faded away; Levi wasn't 'hurt', after all. "Is everything all right?"

_"I could ask the same to you,"_

"What do you mean?"

Levi seemed very hesitant, but eventually, he sighed and continued, _"Your sister answered the phone the other day when I called. I'm... sorry for hurting you like that..."_

"What do you mean?" Eren repeated, his voice a little more stern than it was last time.

_"I don't know, I just... I guess... I'm sorry? Yeah... I'm sorry for making you cry, Eren,"_

Eren narrowed his eyes and said, "I wasn't crying. What made you think that?"

_"I had a very lovely conversation with your sister. Apparently, you've been complaining to her about me being shady, and I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't be keeping you in the dark, and I regret not telling you my real age earlier. I thought you'd freak out about it. Are you sure you're all right?"_

Realization hit him – Mikasa was the reason why Levi hadn't called. Or rather, Mikasa was the reason why he didn't call back, or why he wouldn't reply to Eren's texts. This pissed him off much more than it should have. He couldn't let himself become blinded with white rage, though. His hand merely strengthened the grip he had around his phone, and right when he was about to talk, he heard the sound of a door closing, then the very familiar creak of a chair. If he was correct, Levi moved from a different room to his bedroom, and the creak of the chair must have been the chair at his desk. Interesting. Why would he be there? It's not exactly comfortable.

Eren strained his ear to hear more out of pure curiosity, slowly muttering, "I haven't been venting to Mikasa, but she's a lot like Mom... I swear she knows me more than I know myself. I guess she was just overprotective because she knew how old you were. At least she didn't tell me a story that wasn't hers, right? I wonder how she found out, though.."

His ear caught the slight hitch in Levi's breath. _"I probably hurt you, didn't I? Fuck..."_

"No, you didn't," Eren immediately responded, taking note of how Levi's tone slightly faltered at the end of his sentence. "I don't know what Mikasa told you, and I want to keep it that way. Just... don't believe what she says, okay? I know she'll do anything to protect me, even if that means hurting someone else. I'm sorry if she hurt you in any way,"

_"Why are you fucking apologizing for another person's mistake?"_

… Why was he?

"I... that's not the point right now," the brunette said, leaning back in his seat. "I know a lot of shit's been going on, but seriously, Levi... I was scared that I ruined our relationship,"

_"That's hard to do on your part,"_

"What do you mean by that?"

_"Nothing, brat. I just don't want to hurt you anymore, and... in order to do that..."_

Eren's heart jumped with fear at the suggestion, but he calmly replied, "You haven't been hurting me at all. What's been hurting me these past months was the thought that something was off. But now that I know, I really don't mind. There's nothing wrong with you being older. Age is just a number, isn't it?"

_"That's like saying jail is just a room,"_

"Yeah, like you're going to jail," he rolled his eyes, the sudden acceleration of panic in his heart finally starting to calm down. "I told you before, though – this relationship is a chance I'm willing to take,"

A small sigh was heard over the phone. _"Just how much blood do those words lack, kid? I have a dark past, one that no one would ever want to live through... and those who I've told just abandoned me because they knew I'd hurt them. If you're really willing to take the chance, then fine, go ahead... I'm kind of glad. I'd probably end up fucking you over later down the road, but keep in mind... if you want to know something, just ask,"_

"Trust me, Levi,"

_"I already do, you brat,"_

Eren smiled brightly. He could practically _hear_ the grin on Levi's face over the phone. After a long moment of silence, the brunette said, "Also... I'm sorry for overreacting,"

_"Yeah -" (there was a small, hesitant pause in Levi's sentence that made Eren's brow furrow with confusion) "- me too,"_

The call ended, with Eren finally relieved that everything was being put back into their rightful place.

**.**

**.**

_"Also... I'm sorry for overreacting,"_

Levi's grip on his smart phone tightened significantly. "Yeah -"

He stared at the pile of bracelets that were dumped on his desk, his eyebrow twitching in disapproval when he saw the beautiful shade of his crimson blood starting to dry. The warm substance coated a few inches of the inner layers of his wristbands – he knew it'd be a pain in the ass to clean later, but at least he had a towel underneath the pile to stop the blood from staining his desk. He gave the bloodstained towel that was wrapped around his left forearm a very skeptical look. It failed to stop the bleeding before he tried to put his bracelets back on, and if it happens again, he'll be royally pissed.

"- me too,"

**o0o0o0o**

Another hour passed by after that last call. Eren was still sitting at his desk, reading over what he had done so far in his novel. He was all right with what he wrote, but there was still a lot left to do in this chapter, and he wasn't very pleased with the way he killed a few soldiers. He was still pondering over what Levi told him earlier – he was still quite pissed off, but Mikasa had her reasons. He didn't even know that Levi was overage. At least he knows now, without Mikasa telling him. It all finally blew over. Just as he was about to rewrite the bloodiest paragraph he had for that chapter, he heard a knock on the door. He didn't even have the chance to mutter his approval; his sister opened the door and creaking it open, quietly slipping inside the room and snapping the door shut behind her. It's not like he cared, he left the door open for a reason... so he wouldn't have to get up and open it himself. Laziness truly was overwhelming.

The delicious smell of dinner caught his attention, the scent of chicken and rice being like a drug to him. He didn't even notice how hungry he was until he caught the scent of dinner, and as if to prove to himself that he was famished, his stomach growled for attention. Mikasa held a plate of chicken and rice in one hand while the other held onto her scarf, pulling the fabric above her chin to tuck her nose into the soft material. Her gaze softened when Eren gladly took the plate in hand.

"I figured you were hungry," she said quietly, but as she turned to leave, Eren gripped the sleeve of her jacket.

"... Do you want to stay for a while, or...?" Eren offered, setting his plate of food down next to his keyboard. "... It feels kinda nice, having someone to talk to..."

Mikasa's smile was hidden in her scarf. She gripped Eren's hand and squeezed in an affectionate and somewhat apologetic manner. She sat down at the foot of Eren's bed and nuzzled into her scarf, watching as Eren hastily started to eat. That reminded her of when their mother (or rather, Eren's mother and her guardian) used to serve them dinner – he'd always eat like there was no tomorrow. She took the liberty to lay back in her brother's bed, the sound of a fork dropping down onto his plate gaining her attention. Mikasa saw the guilty look on his face.

Eren noticed her dark gray eyes questioningly staring at him, so he started, "I... I'm sorry for avoiding you the other day..."

"Don't worry about it," the raven replied with a monotonous voice, turning her head forward so she was staring at the ceiling again. "I... also needed to tell you something..."

"Is it about Levi? Because he already told me,"

He didn't sound as harsh as he should have, but he just couldn't help it; he should be grateful for his sister going to such heights just so protect him. He almost felt smothered at this point. Mikasa tightened the hold she had on her scarf, her nails digging into the fabric, and she turned her head to look at Eren and confess what she did. Bright green eyes met with dark gray – there was a spark, one that didn't cease to comfort Mikasa. Their family bond was much stronger than that. Eren's look softened as he gave her a warm smile, one that reassured her and told her not to worry about it.

"Hmph... you know... I guess I should thank you," he turned back to his computer screen and felt his heart clench tightly in his chest when he continued, "I mean, you've been protecting me with everything you had, ever since Mom died. Actually no, before that..."

Mikasa's monotonous voice helped eased the pain in his heart at the memory of his mother; "You saved my life twice before, and you showed me that the world isn't as cruel as I thought it was. I'm thankful that Mr. and Mrs. Jaeger accepted me into their household,"

"What do you mean 'Mr. and Mrs. Jaeger'?" Eren asked, giving his adoptive sister a skeptical look. "Don't talk like you're not part of this family,"

She felt her heart swell in her chest at that statement. "Then you'd understand that I'd do anything to protect what little family I have left,"

"I do understand, that's why I thanked you," Eren played with his knife in his hand (the one Mikasa brought him with his dinner), his thoughts slowly sinking back to his past, the day Grisha adopted Mikasa. Well, it wasn't an adoption on paper, it was after an incident that shouldn't have happened again. He absentmindedly muttered, "I remember like it was yesterday..."

"So do I," Mikasa replied with a grim voice, rolling over to her side to watch as Eren stared at the knife in his hand, his reflection shining brightly from it despite the dim lighting.

**.**

**.**

**.**

_ Eren watched as Mikasa slowly resurfaced. The swelling around her wrists from how tightly the ropes were bound to her was finally starting to ease down, with her left eye darkened to a disgusting shade of purple. Her hair was still matted, but it wasn't covered in blood and grime like it was before Grisha took her to the hospital. Eren still didn't fully understand the situation, but what he did understand was that Mikasa was safe. Even if he didn't know her, he still knew that saving her was the right thing to do. Now that they were in the hospital, safe and sound, nothing was going to happen to her. That relieved him greatly._

_ The hospital was always very cold inside. He shivered as he tightened the red scarf around himself, trying to gain some heat from the only source of 'heat' he had besides his jacket (that wasn't very thick). Mikasa blinked a couple of times, her dark gray eyes completely drained of 'life' or emotion, her raven-like hair messily falling over her face like a curtain. She mumbled an incoherent greeting as she slowly sat up in the hospital bed, brushing her hair out of her face. Her lower half was still hurting like hell, so was the very fleshy skin around her darkened eye and the bruises that tainted the pale skin of her body. She doesn't remember much, and she doesn't want to remember anything, especially the reason why her lower half hurt. She didn't quite understand what the word 'fuck' meant, or what those people meant when they mentioned her being 'tight', but the pain was the reason why her vision was blotched white. That was good – she didn't want to remember it at all. It hurt so much... and her parents were gone. The way she cried for help from her parents, whimpering for her mother, her heart pounding in her chest as if it were a hummingbird that was caught between the predator's jaws. She's never felt so helpless before._

_ Eren caught her eyes and smiled; as soon as bright green met dark gray, a perturbed shiver ran up Mikasa's spine, bringing an odd sort of emotion along with it. If she was correct, it was the feeling of... gratitude, reassurance? What was it again? She couldn't remember. She gave a weak smile back at him, and they stayed locked in some sort of staring contest (without the intensity, of course) for a while before the door to the room opened. Mikasa instinctively flinched while Eren jumped out of his seat to greet their visitor; to the raven's greatest relief, if was Grisha Jaeger, Eren's father and her [puny] family's doctor. He ran a hand through Eren's hair with a soft pat, showing his affection towards his son, who gave a toothy grin._

_ "Hello, Mikasa. Are you feeling well?" Grisha asked, setting down his briefcase next to her bed and taking a seat in the chair next to her._

_ She thought for a moment and gripped her lower abdomen, asking with a broken voice that was barely audible, "Why does it hurt so much?"_

_ Grisha looked a little uncomfortable, as if he was having trouble to find the words. Eren didn't understand, either, so he decided to change the subject to a less confusing matter. "I'm not the doctor that's taking care of you right now. He's Doctor Williams, one who specializes in... er... _victims_,"_

_ "So I'm a victim," she stated quietly._

_ "Don't sound so sad," Eren spoke up, his green eyes narrowing as he frowned. "You're not a victim – you're a survivor!"_

_ Grisha chuckled softly at this. How cute children tend to be. At that moment, the door opened, revealing a short doctor with glasses, his white-blonde hair combed back and his eyes a dull shade of blue. He could have been in his late thirties. Williams gave them all a warm smile and pulled a pen out of his white coat, propping his clipboard up on his forearm and reading its contents before he was to talk to Grisha on the matter. Apparently, Mikasa's only family was killed in the incident, so Grisha took responsibility in the matter. The door was snapped shut behind him and he stood next to Grisha, who left his seat in a polite manner. They started to converse on the serious topic._

_ Williams asked with a business-like tone that betrayed his warm smile, "You, Grisha Jaeger, are the legal guardian of Mikasa Ackerman, correct?"_

_ "Yes," Grisha replied, giving the curious children next to them a weary look before turning his attention back to Williams._

_ "There seems to be very minor tearing around the vaginal opening that would probably heal in one to two weeks. There was also minor bleeding and signs of abuse with faint bruises around the pubic area. It's uncommon for the attacker to go to such an extent to hurt and traumatize a young girl – I'm not a detective, but I'd say there was a different reason behind this. We checked her for any sexually transmitted diseases -"_

_ At this point, Eren lost interest, mainly because he had no idea what they were talking about. It seemed like Mikasa didn't, either, who lost interest earlier and was staring off in a distance. The brunette curiously trotted over to her and tried to spark conversation._

_ "My dad told me that you're a nice girl," Eren said, his voice soft enough for only Mikasa to hear. When she gave him a faint smile, he continued brightly, "Can we be friends?"  
_

_This took her by full surprise. She blinked twice before she nodded vigorously, her smile widening significantly. Eren _was_ the one who saved her life, how could she say no? That feeling of relief was starting to bubble in the pit of her heart, giving her the impression that she and Eren will be great friends. Very great friends. They continued to converse about... well, things that eight year old children should talk about instead of listening to a grim report. At some point, Williams turned to leave, and Grisha followed in suit, the bags under his eyes very dark._

_ Before they left the room, Grisha called over to his son, "I'll be back in a little while, okay? Stay here and don't go anywhere. You two behave, now,"  
_

_"We will!" they replied in unison, Eren's voice being more bright and cheerful than Mikasa's, who was still getting used to the setting around her._

_ As soon as the door closed, Mikasa asked with a monotonous voice, "Why does your dad seem so comfortable with leaving you alone here?"  
_

_"He works here," Eren replied happily. "He'll come pick us up before he leaves, too!"_

_ "... Us?"_

_ The brunette tilted his head to the side, looking remarkably like a confused puppy. "What, you don't want to come with us?"_

_ She blushed with embarrassment and looked away. "No, it's not that..."_

_ They talked for awhile before Mikasa slowly started to doze off again, the effects of the medicine she had finally starting to come back to her. Eren allowed her to sleep, saying that she needed rest, and with that, he scampered off to explore the room. It was small, except for the huge window at the end of the room, one that Eren was able to sit on the windowsill without falling off. The window was closed, giving them a perfect (yet somewhat blurry) view of the city around them. It started to get late, so naturally, Eren grew tired. He disappeared off into the corner of the room as far from Mikasa as possible, because he remembered once when his father told him that sick people shouldn't be bothered. He didn't want to bother his new friend like that. Eventually, it grew dark in the room, the glow from the city lights and the screens of the equipment barely illuminating the room. Eren was sound asleep, with naught a sound leaving his lips, curled up in a tight ball on a chair in the corner of the room where the shadows hid him. He slept peacefully, until he felt a cold chill run down his spine._

_ He was about to whine with exhaustion after he opened his eyes, but the huge smudge in front of him told him to stay quiet; there wasn't just two people in the room, there were four. His heart raced and his instinct took place – he rubbed his eyes furiously and allowed his pupils to enlarge and adjust to the scene. The man in front of him was very tall – much taller than Eren could ever dream to be. He quietly stalked out of his chair, praying to God that it wouldn't squeak, and thankfully, it didn't. He skulked over to the desk where various instruments were kept; eventually, he took the chance to open the drawer, slowly and carefully. He was lucky that it didn't make a sound, and it seemed like the 'visitors' didn't hear either. He towered over Mikasa's bed, watching as she slept, until he sighed with disbelief and pulled out a phone from his pocket. He dialed in a number and brought the phone up to his ear while Eren slowly pulled out something sharp from the drawer. Just as he hoped; a knife. It was small, but it was better than nothing. He also found a syringe filled with an unknown liquid, which he hoped to be some kind of poison. (But then again, he's at a hospital, so why would it be poison?) He decided to take his chances with this one._

_ Eren crept into the chair behind him, his senses seeming to intensify by ten, a strange urge coursing through his veins. For some reason, there was only one person standing at Mikasa's bed; he probably must have been seeing things. He did notice their visitor right after he woke up, after all._

_ The man said into the phone,"Yes, she's right in front of me. I didn't see anyone around, but I still don't think I can take my time, sir. Do you want me to kill the bitch or kidnap her again?"_

_ A harsh voice radiated from the phone, and it took Eren a moment to process what he heard: "They're a disgrace to the Ackerman family, and so is their rat. Kill her already,"_

_ "Okay, sir,"_

_ That was Eren's chance. While the man slipped the phone into his back pocket, Eren pounced from the chair with all of the strength he could muster up in his legs. He clung onto the man's back, who cursed loudly with surprise, and before he could reach behind him to rip Eren off, the brunette brought the syringe up with a shaky hand. He plunged the syringe into the man's neck, not giving a damn in the world if he hit an artery or broke the needle inside of the skin, as long as he injected the bastard with whatever the hell was in there. As soon as Eren drained the injection into the man's neck, he groaned and grabbed a fistful of Eren's hair, yanking him off his back with an incredible force. He didn't bother putting Eren down, though; he held the brunette up by the hair, several inches from the ground, and soon enough, Eren was fighting back tears of pain as he fruitlessly kicked._

_ "You're not hurting my friend!" Eren hissed, whining loudly when the hold the man had on his hair tightened significantly._

_ "Stupid kid," the man spat, slipping out a gun from his pocket. "Your mother should have taught you better, you little cur,"_

_ Eren's bright green eyes glinted dangerously in what looked like a golden color, similar to a lion's, a treacherous smirk spreading across his lips. Despite the gun pointed squarely between his eyes, he said boldly, "My mom told me to protect the people I care about,"_

_ Right when he was about to pull the trigger, Eren released the hold he had on he man's wrists (he was using it as some sort of support to ease the pain), allowing gravity to take over completely. It hurt like hell, but it was worth it; his quick hand slipped into his pocket and whipped out the knife, and before the man could do anything, Eren sunk the blade into the back of the hand that was holding the gun. The knife ran right through his hand, the skin and muscle tearing with a disgusting ripping sound, the tip of the knife scratching against the handle of the gun. He hissed loudly in pain and dropped the gun, and on instinct, he let Eren fall to the ground as well. The brunette was lucky that he pulled the knife out right afterward – if he didn't, he would have been left without a weapon. He scrambled to his knees and gripped the bloodied knife with all of his strength, taking it back over his head and bringing it down onto the man's thigh. Another hiss was heard, and as the man fell to his knees, Eren kicked the gun as far away as possible. That syringe must have been filled with a strong medicine that was used to put the patient to sleep, because his movements were sluggish and out of place (Eren's quick motions made the man's attempts at attacking fail miserably). But Eren knew it wasn't over yet. While the man cupped the wound and applied pressure to stop the bleeding, Eren rammed into his side with his shoulder, causing the other to lose his balance and fall to the floor. The brunette wasted no time; instead of straddling the man, he merely sat on his abdomen with his knees, bringing the knife above his head with a very bright glint of yellow in his eyes. It was like he was a lion getting ready to devour its prey._

_ Mikasa slowly crawled to the corner of the bed and gasped when she saw Eren; the brunette's sleeves were soaked in blood. Eren continued to repeatedly stab the attacker, the blade sinking right below his firm chest cavity. Eren knew that he wasn't strong enough to actually break the bone protecting his chest, so instead, he struck at... semi-vital areas. All of the action happening now was distracting him from the throbbing pain on his scalp where the man had held him up by the hair, but the hair itself was wilder than usual and catching random clumps of torn muscle, skin, and blood. The man's black eyes started to loose their color as Eren continued to stab at whatever area he could reach, until eventually, they were left with a bloody mess. Eren breathed heavily with adrenaline as he sunk the blade into the already torn up abdomen, and just for good measure, when he stood up, he delivered an angry kick to the others face. Even if he was already dead, the brunette still managed to break his nose, sending warm blood splatting over the bottom of his shoe. A growl of disapproval left Eren's lips as the strong smell of copper finally reached his nose, the massive amount of dark crimson covering the floor making him grimace. He turned to Mikasa, and when he flashed a quick smile, she let out a relieved sigh and smiled back. Eren could have sworn her dark gray eyes were starting to lighten up._

_ "You're okay," Eren said, stepping over the body and standing by the side of Mikasa's bed. "No one will hurt you,"_

_ Mikasa nodded, but her eyes widened significantly when she heard something creak not too far from them. "Behind you!"_

_ Eren gasped and turned to grab the knife, but it was too late; when he took a step forward, his forehead pressed against the frigid end of a gun. His body shook as his bright green eyes enlarged, staring at the gun before turning up to see who the person was. He couldn't see anything at all; the other person was dressed entirely in black, even his face was covered, leaving him completely camouflaged in the darkness. Eren heard very heavy breathing, as if the other person was pissed off about something – the second attacker was taller than Eren by a few inches, but still threatening nonetheless. The person's dark gray eyes were narrowed with hatred and disgust, his breaths coming out quickly and angrily between clenched teeth, his shoulders rising and falling in time with his breaths. Eren felt the barrel of the gun momentarily push against his forehead before the other person retracted the cold metal._

_ "Stupid brat," the other person snarled, bringing the gun away and swiftly colliding the metal against Eren's temple with a force that Eren didn't think such a small person had. _

_ All he could remember was the disgusted flash of the cold eyes that gradually turned black with hatred before he fell to the ground, the world quickly swirling and darkening before him._

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Hmph... thank God dad showed up after that..." Eren muttered, setting the knife back down on his plate.

Mikasa merely smiled and curled up on the bed, nuzzling into her scarf. The scarf was given to her right after Eren woke up the next morning with a severe headache. Despite the dull specks of blood on it, she accepted it wholeheartedly. After that person knocked Eren out using their gun, he gave Mikasa an angry look and disappeared off into the night, the opened window slamming shut, the glass breaking from the impact. She remembers their attacker saying something before he left, but she can't remember exactly what. That was finally enough to bring Grisha back to their room to investigate. It was still quite blurry to her, but she was fond of the memory for some reason... Eren protected her. With his life. She's more than grateful, even if the aftermath with the police was complete hell. They spent the rest of the night idly talking before Mikasa eventually fell asleep on Eren's bed. Eren took no mind to this and decided to go make some coffee so he could continue writing his novel. Even if he would regret staying up all night again, the ideas he had for the latest chapter just had to be written then with his new-found inspiration.


	15. Scarlet

**Note:** You guys should listen to Corpse Party: Blood Covered OST: Soul of Steel (S.O.S.), it's great inspiration for writing a death scene. Wait, what?

**Disclaimer:** Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?

* * *

_**Chapter Fifteen; Scarlet**_

_ (The next day; Monday)_

"Where the fuck is he, damn it?"

Eren searched through the library that morning in search of Armin while Levi attended a Student Government meeting. The computers near the front were full (as usual), and that was where Armin usually was, doing last-minute research or reading fan-made stories for the hell of it. Just as he was about to give up his search, he spotted short blonde hair and sky blue eyes in the distance; towards the back of the room was Armin, talking very animatedly to Bertolt, who's smile was a bit wider than usual. He remembered seeing Reiner with Annie at the front desk earlier, both conversing quietly with a very rare grin forming on Annie's usually unresponsive lips. It amazed him how close they were. He impatiently hissed a profanity under his breath and made his way over to the very far table where Armin was seated. Eren didn't get a minute's rest the previous night, so as a result of his lack of sleep, there were very dark circles under his eyes, and he seemed to lose his patience faster than usual. He finished the latest chapter of his novel during those dull hours, so it wasn't a complete waste of time. Lack of sleep won't kill him... _hopefully_.

When he pulled out the seat next to Armin, the blonde greeted happily, "Hello, Eren! How are you?"

"I'm okay," Eren grumbled, dropping his backpack off to the side with an impatient expression.

Both Armin and Bertolt raised an eyebrow at this, so Armin asked, "What's wrong?"

"I've been looking for you this whole morning!" the brunette flared, slipping his flash drive out of his pocket and tossing it over to Armin. "You didn't even reply to the texts I sent you last night! You know I can't edit, even to save my own life!"

"Oh, a new chapter? Sheesh -" _(Armin rolled his eyes after he caught the flash drive, but he fumbled with it for a moment before getting a firm grip on it) _"- you could have just said that in the first place. And you sent me that text at three in the morning, Eren, of course I wouldn't reply to that!"

"Read over it, at least? Levi's busy today, though, so you don't have to edit alone,"

A mischievous grin formed on Armin's lips. "I have Bertolt!"

Bertolt choked on his own spit with surprise. He cleared his throat and shakily asked, "R- Really? You'd let me do that?"

"Well, why not?" Armin tossed him the flashdrive, which he skillfully caught in his fist, a look of sheer surprise on his face. "Eren doesn't mind. Right, Eren?"

"I'd probably scare him with horrible my grammar," Eren snorted. He patted a hand on Bertolt's fist and said with a warm smile, "You're one of the very few people that put up with my writing. You don't have to edit, though, if you don't want to,"

"I... I do, it's just..." Bertolt looked at the small flashdrive in his hand and muttered, "I never thought I'd actually be able to edit your story with Armin... it... it feels great to be able to do that..."

"I'm not the author of the century! If you want to read the raw version of it, then ask me, I'll give you a sneak peak before Levi or Armin edit it,"

"Hey!" Armin whined in disapproval, folding his arms over his chest. "That's no fair!"

"I think it's fair," Bertolt stated quietly with a grin.

Both of the brunettes chuckled when they saw the [fake] pout on Armin's lips, his sky blue eyes widening with a very faint trace of tears in them (those, too, were fake). What a little shit – he always makes the cutest faces when he wants to. Or was that tearful look even supposed to be cute in the first place? No one knew.

**o0o0o0o**

_(March; First day of Spring)_

_ (Afternoon; three o'clock)_

Armin hummed a sweet tune as he trotted down the hallways towards a specific classroom, greeting the people he knew with a quick 'hello' on the way there. Nearly thirty minutes passed since the final bell rang, so most of the students were already off campus. It was a Wednesday – the middle of the final week of school they had before Spring break. Their break this year started later than expected; usually, Spring break would come along before the twentieth, but this year started later, so they had the end of the month to themselves. That was a good thing since Eren's birthday was on the thirtieth, and the short, one week vacation would give them plenty of time to figure something out. Eren was similar to Mikasa, in a sense, because he wasn't fond of the idea of having a huge birthday party. Maybe a few friends over and a cake would do just fine like it did every year. Armin's humming came to an eventual stop as he pondered over a few questions – what was he going to do for Eren this year? He was positive that Levi had a few plans of his own for Eren's birthday, and he'll be damned if the raven didn't. Armin's sky blue eyes were a bit unfocused with his complicated thought process, and as a consequence, he didn't even notice the people in front of him until he ran into one of them.

"Oops, sorry!" he squeaked, expecting it to be total stranger (or worse, one of his bullies).

To his surprise, it wasn't; he was met with Reiner's friendly grin and Bertolt's shy expression. Why they were staying after school wasn't his business, but he did tend to pry indirectly with his [sometimes fatuous and bothersome] curiosity. The much taller blonde hastily tucked one of his notebooks (it looked remarkably like their history notebook) into his backpack and zipped it shut, slinging it over his shoulder while Bertolt nervously scratched the back of his neck.

"'Afternoon, Armin! What's up?" Reiner greeted, giving a small pat to Armin's shoulder as a friendly gesture.

"Nothing, really," Armin replied, his large eyes softening with relief. As much as he regret running into those two, things could have turned out horrible if he bumped into different people (preferably the ones that were fond of teasing him). "I was going to see if room ten was open so could get my sewing supplies back before Spring break,"

"Oh, you're in the sewing club?" Reiner's eyes lit up a bit when Armin nodded, and he asked, "Why don't you take Bertl with you and introduce him to a few people? He's been bugging me this entire year to join with him,"

"D- Don't tell him that," Bertolt muttered with a weak (and certainly embarrassed) smile on his face.

Armin rolled his eyes while Reiner snorted at his best friend's shy and quiet demeanor. "Oh? Why didn't you tell me? I'm the president of the sewing club!"

"Really? I... didn't know..."

Reiner stepped away and pushed Armin closer towards Bertolt, encouraging him with, "You can teach a thing or two to him. Since you're Mr. President, why don't you show off the club for a bit?"

"That's only if Bertolt wants to,"

Reiner's eyes pleaded with the brunette, and since Armin had his back turned towards him, he didn't see that gesture. Bertolt sighed, and his face turned back to its neutral expression, "All right..."

While Armin practically dragged a very shy Bertolt to the sewing club's occupied classroom, Reiner's expression darkened. He slipped into the nearest classroom (that was empty and dark), an amused grin tearing at his lips when he heard Bertolt's uneasy voice in the distance (_'You're really strong when you want to be, Armin'_). He slipped his backpack off his broad shoulders and dropped it on a nearby desk, zipping it open and rummaging through the contents. After pushing aside his basketball uniform, he found his history notebook, the cover slightly bent around the edges as a result of the hassle he went through to put it away. He grumbled with frustration and flipped through its contents, fishing out a pen from his messy backpack to scribble over the notes he made earlier.

"You better be careful," the blonde sighed, momentarily stopping in the middle of his scribbling to stare out the window.

**o0o0o0o**

When Armin and Bertolt entered classroom ten, they were greeted by a few people; there weren't many students there, maybe about five or six, but most of them were organizing the sewing supplies while others were sewing together items of clothing with the sewing machines. The constant clanging sound of the sewing machines rang throughout the room, making Bertolt flinch. Only two students were using the sewing machines – Ian Dietrich, a Junior, and a Senior by the name of Stephanie Martinez. Stephanie was much taller than Armin (though shorter than Bertolt) and was using the sewing machine to sew along a very long sheet of fabric. She was probably making a dress for herself, judging by the length of the fabric and the way it was cut to make a 'V' neckline. Ian, next to her, seemed to be using the sewing machine to make some sort of clothing item, but it was too early to tell since the project hasn't been fully defined yet. There was also a Senior there that wasn't part of the sewing club; if Armin was correct, the Senior (Mitabi Jarnach) had a father who worked with the school's repair system, and he wanted to work alongside his father one day. Mitabi learned how to use most of the tools and machines necessary for simple things since schools didn't really require repairing that was needed by a professional. Mitabi was crouching down next to a storage cabinet that was wide open, revealing several sewing machines that were either broken and needed to be replaced or just old. He was rummaging around a rather large toolbox for something, and it looked as if he was trying to repair the cabinet, judging by the massive amount of nails next to him.

"Hey, Armin!" Mitabi greeted, waving towards the two and raising an eyebrow at Bertolt. The brunette didn't notice this gesture, for he was exchanging a friendly smile towards Ian (they were good friends). "Who's this?"

"Good afternoon, Mitabi. This is a close friend of mine -" _(Bertolt blushed and waved awkwardly, feeling flattered that Armin actually considered him a close friend) _"- I kinda dragged him along with me today,"

"That sounds like an Armin thing to do," Mitabi pulled out a nail gun and inspected it, continuing, "Also, I found a bag with your name on it earlier when I was looking for some extra nails. Did you forget anything here?"

Armin gasped when he remembered what he came there for. "My sewing supplies! Where are they?"

Mitabi pointed over to one of the storage cabinets in the back of the room with his nail gun and called, "Over yonder!"

Armin rolled his eyes at this and scurried off to retrieve his items, but just before he left with Bertolt, Ian looked up from his work and asked, "'Ey, Bertl, could you do me a favor?"

The blonde nodded encouragingly at him and hurried towards the cabinets. Bertolt smiled at how hasty Armin was to leave, and turning his attention towards Ian, he answered, "Sure, what do you need?"

"Pixis 'donated' one of his old coolers the other day saying he didn't need it. Pretty cool, huh? I was wondering if you could go get me something to drink,"

Bertolt nodded and looked around, spotting a rather small cooler off to the side of the room. The lid of it was light gray, and the actual box part was supposed to be light blue, but it looked more like navy blue with how dirty it was. Or maybe it was just wet. Either way, it looked very worn. He left to go retrieve Ian a drink as requested to, and while he was gone, Armin struggled to open a cabinet. He tugged at the doors, trying to get them open, until a stray club member offered to open it for him. He griped something about the cabinet being made by Satan or whatnot, and when the student successfully opened the cabinet door with minor issues, a very intense blush stained his cheeks.

Ian made idle chat with Mitabi until he heard Bertolt call over to him, "Uh... Ian...? There's soda and water in here... which one do you want?"

Mitabi rolled his eyes and played with the nail gun in his hands when Ian replied with an awed voice, "I didn't know we had soda. That's awesome!"

Bertolt took that as a, 'yes, I'd like soda instead of water.' After a few more moments, Bertolt returned to the small work space and handed Ian the glass bottle of soda, and by then, Armin already returned with his sewing supplies. Ian unscrewed the bottle and drank deeply... or rather, as deeply as a drink with only ten ounces would allow. Armin took note of how the bottle cap offered no type of resistance whatsoever, and the soda hardly fizzed. That was odd. It was probably old and promised a stomach ache later on that night. Poor Ian. Mitabi gained his attention by waving a tool at him.

"Oi, are you listening to me?"

Armin set his pondering and suspicion aside for later and replied, "Yeah, I am,"

"Could you stay for awhile? Ian doesn't talk when he's sewing even to save his own life,"

Armin smiled brightly at the offer. He didn't think Mitabi would ever ask him that... no one ever did. That was a nice change. "Er... sure, I guess,"

Bertolt watched as Stephanie hissed in disapproval at her dress and cut off the end of the thread, pulling on it and tugging it right out of the confines of the soft fabric. She wasn't pleased with the thread she used. While she replaced the other thread, Bertolt took now of how careful they were with the sewing machines. He made a mental note to use just as much caution if he ever decides to start sewing. Armin stared at Mitabi loading the nail gun, his sky blue eyes widening when they saw that the cabinet trembled dangerously with each movement. This was a very, very bad idea.

"Mitabi... uh, aren't you going to take out the sewing machines before you repair that thing?" Armin asked, eying the cabinet with a weary look in his eyes.

"That's too much work. Besides -"_ (He gave a strong shove to the cabinet, which only creaked loudly but stayed firmly in its place)_ "- this old thing is attached to the wall with nails from the inside. It's not going anywhere,"

Armin's heart unclenched with relief. He sighed deeply, "All right. Be careful, though,"

While Mitabi set to work nailing the lowest shelves to make the bottom more sturdy (though he had to be cautious with what nails he used since the wood was very old), Armin pulled up a stray chair and took a seat in it. He had his legs crossed over each other, just as a young student in elementary school would, talking vividly about various topics. The blonde practically had to shout over the sound of the sewing machine and the nail gun, but Mitabi still laughed at his jokes and comments just the same. Over time, Mitabi searched through the pile of nails for sharper ones while Ian inspected what he had done with his work so far. It was finally quiet, but not for long; Stephanie threw the rejected roll of thread off to the side of their table with a sharp thud, yawning into the back of her hand and stepping away from her work. She turned to Armin, who gave her a friendly smile. She returned the friendly gesture with a quick flash of a grin, but it immediately faded away with frustration.

"Armin, could you finish sewing this for me while I go to the little girl's room?" Stephanie asked sweetly despite the stress that was very visible though her dark brown eyes.

Armin looked over to Bertolt, who had his neutral expression on, and he replied, "Bertolt can do it for you. He's been meaning to join the sewing club, anyways. This can be something to start him off,"

"Y- you're just lazy!" Bertolt gasped, giving Stephanie an apologetic look. "I've never sewn b- before... I'd probably ruin it for you!"

"A beginner, huh?" she giggled softly and shrugged. "It's not like I care if it gets messed up. I have enough fabric to make another one if things go horribly wrong, so what's the big deal?"

Bertolt thought for a moment, and with an encouraging smile from Armin, he accepted the offer. She thanked the both of them and hurried off to the restroom, leaving Ian to point out the basics of using a sewing machine. There was a very small 'button' of some sort on the floor right next to his sewing machine, and he had to use the heel of his foot to push that button whenever he wanted to start sewing. The sewing machine responded to that button, and it was very sensitive, so say if someone were to stomp on it, the sewing machine would most likely go haywire. That almost scared him. After a few tries, Bertolt got the hang of it, though he shyly blushed and muttered a few incoherent things under his breath when both Ian and Armin congratulated him. How embarrassing those two can be. Ian let out a sigh that sounded more like a hiss and stepped away from his work, turning his back towards the table and leaning against the edge. He took another drink from his bottle of soda, draining the rest of its contents in one gulp.

"Hey, could one of you open the window?" Ian asked, setting the empty bottle down on the floor next to him. "It's getting really stuffy,"

Armin noted how Ian's face has a small pinkish tint to it, and his breathing was also getting labored by the minute. He rolled his eyes and said, "You have period at the end of the day, it's probably rubbing off on you,"

Ian spat playfully, "You're ten times worse than me!"

After a very small argument, Ian turned back to his work to continue, but he stopped when he saw that Bertolt looked very uneasy. He was nearly to the bottom of the dress, and the top of the dress was already draped over the table, successfully hiding his feet from view. Stephanie's dress must have been made longer than her normal height, for style purposes. Bertolt was staring at 'his' work with a look of mixed emotions, and when he looked up, he met Ian's eye and blushed. He looked away and tried to continue his work, but Ian's curiosity got the better of him.

"Bertl, what's wrong?"

This gained Armin's attention, as well. The brunette bit his lip and gave the dress he was sewing a tired look. "What if I mess this up for her? It looks good, and if I were to screw it up this far in..."

"Well, she knows you're a beginner. She'll understand if something happens, so don't worry too much about it. You're doing fine so far, too!"

A small smile shone on the brunette's lips. "... Thanks, I guess,"

"No problem,"

Why Bertolt had low self-esteem, no one knew, but Armin still took it to consideration. How he'd tease his close friends was meant to cheer them up and mess around, but when it came to Bertolt, he was careful with those. The last thing he'd want was a word from a very angry Reiner. The thought scared him more than it should have. When Ian stepped on the button at his feet, he placed his hands on his work once more, but for some reason, the sewing machine didn't start up. He decided to press harder on the button, but even when he poured his full weight onto it, the machine still didn't respond. He grumbled something about cheap sewing machines as he checked the thread and needle, looking through to see if there were any jams. Mitabi snorted in amusement and set to place a nail at the very top of the cabinet, but that snort earned him a small glare from Armin. The blonde suggested replacing the needle and the thread, and Ian immediately complied with a heavy intake and outtake of breath. Bertolt gave Ian's jammed sewing machine a skeptical look and turned back to his own work, but suddenly, the sound of clanging from a sewing machine rang vividly throughout the room... and so did Ian's highly pained cry. Armin gasped and clapped his hands over his mouth when he saw crimson blood splattering over the sewing machine, with Ian desperately trying to get it to stop. At that moment, Mitabi's head cocked towards his friend's direction to investigate, but that distraction earned him an excruciating pain; when he looked away from the cabinet, he accidentally pulled the trigger to the nail gun, embedding a sharp, rusted nail into the back of his hand. The students around them screamed in fear and backed away from the scene, their eyes widened with fear.

Mitabi cried out in agony and dropped the nail gun, gripping his wrist and hissing loudly in pain. "_Holy fuck!_"

The nail had ripped through the skin and muscle in his hand, right in the area between the two knuckles of the middle and index finger. Blood bubbled out from the sides of the nail and coated the head of it in the warm liquid, slowly trickling down his wrist and dripping to the floor in scarlet splatters. Ian screamed for help as the sewing machine continued to ram the needle into his fingers; over just a matter of seconds, the needle had repeatedly stabbed into the index and middle fingers of both of his hands, 'sewing' the appendages together. The fingernail on Ian's right index finger popped out of its place as the needle stabbed through it, impaling the very sensitive skin under it. Tears flowed down his eyes and he tried to pull away from the sewing machine, a whimper leaving his lips as he prayed for God to make it all stop. Bertolt clapped his hands over his mouth as he started to hyperventilate, but he set his hyperventilation aside to quickly unplug the power cord from the wall. The sewing machine finally stopped, but that just made Ian's cries intensify greatly. His fingers were bleeding severely, a very strong and nearly overwhelming prickling and stinging sensation of pain running from the ripped appendages. At some point in his struggle, he accidentally kicked the glass soda bottle, rolling it a few inches away from him.

Mitabi desperately clawed at his wrists as he tried to pull himself free from the cabinet, and after one vicious tug using all his strength and loud groan of pain, he managed to detach his hand from the wood, but it was at a cost... a painful one. The nail ripped right through the skin between his index in middle finger, blood spurting out from the wound and onto the wood, revealing the bloodied bones and muscle from within. The top of the cabinet cracked and broke off from the force, the rotting plank of wood tilting down towards his direction. He didn't even notice the sewing machine that was perched right on top of there. The overwhelming burning in his hand made his reactions slow, and because of that, the sewing machine that slipped off the top of the cabinet crashed down onto his head. Stars burst over his eyes as his head pounded and numbed upon impact. In an attempt to take a step back, he lost control of his legs and fell backwards, his head hitting the floor – what should have been a dull thud sounded like breaking glass and the disgusting spurt of blood. The glass bottle that Ian kicked earlier in his struggle had rolled over to a very 'convenient' place, and when the back of Mitabi's head hit the ground, it made contact with the glass bottle. The bottle broke into hundreds of tiny glass shards, the cap of it popping out of its place and flying to God knows where in the room. The sharp pieces of glass successfully ripped through Mitabi's scalp, the pounding in his head from the sewing machine now turning into an excruciating sensation of flames erupting at the point of both impacts. Blood trickled from his skull, adding to the steady blood flow from the huge laceration in his hand.

Just when they thought the worst was over, the cabinet in the wall creaked loudly. Mitabi whimpered in fear and cried out for help, but it was too late; something within the cabinet cracked, and with that, the wooden object covered in splinters that was filled with heavy sewing machines fell on top of Mitabi. A very deafening crash was heard, along with the sound of a muffled scream that came to an abrupt stop. There were two rusted hinges in the wall – the ones that were supposed to be keeping the cabinet from falling. The screws came undone some time before the incident. Ian breathed heavily as he tried to pull the thread out of his skin, but his legs started to shake dangerously under him before they gave out. When he fell to his knees, his face flushed red and glistened with sweat, and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. He fell to his side with a muted thud, his body now limp besides the rise of his chest with each labored breath he took. That, too, gradually stopped, leaving his body completely unmoving and lifeless. Blood was dripping from the sewing machine, the base of it colored crimson and covered in ripped pieces of skin while it branched out into small scarlet spatters. The strong smell of copper filled the air, the stench making them gag. The students around them snapped out of their thoughts and ran to call for help – but at the end of the day, this experience scarred them for life. It was a guarantee. Armin shakily gasped as he dashed out of his seat, grabbing Bertolt's arm and heaving him away from the scene.

The brunette was having a hard time keeping himself from hyperventilating. Armin retrieved his sewing supplies and darted out of the classroom, dragging along a very unresponsive Bertolt behind him. It'd be so much easier to get the hell away from that madness if he was being a little more cooperative. Then again, Bertolt was a very frail being... that must have traumatized him badly. When they were a safe distance away, they stopped in an empty hallway and panted heavily to catch their breath. Bertolt's eyes looked so empty, and _scared_ – they were whited with fear. When they met each others eye, Armin leaned back against the wall and turned away, clutching a hand over his chest. His heart felt as if it was going to burst out of his chest as his body came down from the high of his adrenaline rush.

"T- That... scared the hell out of me..." Armin breathed. He spoke the full, honest truth in that one simple sentence. He looked over to Bertolt and asked shakily, "Hey, are you all right?"

It took Bertolt a moment to respond to that. He merely nodded. "... How...?"

That was all he could say at the moment. Bertolt wrapped an arm around his stomach before doubling over and heaving dangerously, vomiting all over the floor with the rancid smell of acid. Armin's eye twitched at this as he turned away from his friend, the shock he was in nearly overwhelming his being. Both him and Armin took a long time to snap back to their senses. Long before Bertolt returned to his normal self (though his guard was still up), Armin started to think over the situation, reluctantly allowing the horrible images to replay in his head. There was something behind this that he didn't know, and he was going to find out, no matter how long it took. More importantly... why have there been so many students dying that year? How the hell were they even connected? It made no sense at all. It frustrated Armin greatly, knowing that there was just one question he couldn't solve on his own. But if those deaths happened at random places, with no pattern at all... then there's absolutely no way for them successfully predicting murder.

He didn't even know why they felt like murders, but at this point, he was actually scared.

* * *

**Extra Note:**

_Chibi Nagisa Sakura_: You can't? It's gonna be hell waiting for chapter 20 to roll by, then~

_myost95 and DistraughtChibiLevi:_ Oh? Do you really think it's Levi? What makes you 100% sure it's him?


	16. Sweet

**Note:** Happy late birthday, Eren, you little fuck. Also, I'm sorry if this seems a bit 'boring'; I've never actually had an awesome birthday like the cool kids have, so I guess this is the best? And I'm seriously running out of content (pre-written chapters). I kind of want Levi to bottom in this story, but I already labeled it 'Riren AU', and I'm too lazy to change it to 'Ereri'. But is it too late to make Levi a Yandere?

**Disclaimer:** The company and movies mentioned in this chapter do not belong to me. Running an anime club is really tiring. Uch.

* * *

_**Chapter Sixteen: Sweet**_

_(Ten days later)_

What happened in room ten that day when Mitabi and Ian died spread across the school like wildfire, but the fist to hear about it were Eren and Levi. At the time, Eren was slowly nodding off by Levi's side, nuzzling into the familiar warmth, until the shrill sound of his ring tone snapped both of them out of their small daydream. Levi was scrolling through his own phone at that moment and making very idle conversation with Eren, and when his lover's phone rang, he dropped his on his lap in surprise. Eren snickered at this and slipped out his own phone, and when he saw that it was Armin, he answered the phone with a cheerful greeting. When the raven heard Eren suddenly stop in the middle of his next sentence, his gray eyes glinted with curiosity, running a few soothing fingers through the chocolate locks. Armin's voice was barely audible over the phone, but it sounded panicked. After Armin explained to him what happened, he ended the call and told Levi, who listened to the news with an ashen look. After all the bullshit they went through, there just had to be another death. So much for happily catching up with his lover after an average day of school.

But that already blew over. Besides Armin, Bertolt, and the other students having to go through a fruitless questioning, the increased amount of security at school, and Erwin complaining about the budget not being able to replace the old and broken items, everything was passing by smoothly. Levi wasn't going to let himself ponder over the deaths any longer; it was the thirtieth of March... his lover's birthday. He spent a few nights text messaging Armin, planning about the things they could do for Eren's birthday. Levi had never seen Armin so stressed before, and with the traumatic experience of witnessing someone's gruesome death play out before his eyes, his frantic nature intensified tenfold. Early that morning, Armin showed up to Levi's home, his fist shaking with how cold the weather was when he knocked on the door. He assumed that Erwin was home with Levi that morning, so he decided to be as quiet as possible. After a few moments of waiting out in the cold, the door finally swung open, and the warmth that welcomed him inside was very much obliged. Levi was already out of his pajamas, so that meant that he had been waiting longer than Armin expected. That must have been a good thing in this situation. The blonde brought his backpack along with him, but instead of it being filled with books, it was filled with baking supplies, cake and cupcake mix alike, frosting, and so much more. He was very messy when it came to baking, and he secretly prayed that Levi wouldn't mind.

When they finally settled, Levi carried Armin's backpack for him, surprised that Armin could eve hold something as heavy as that on his back. Armin has known Eren for years, and according to him, the brunette was a bottomless pit when it came to eating sweets and baked goods, preferably home made. They agreed on making a cake first; the flavor was German chocolate (how ironic) and the frosting would be vanilla. The chocolate syrup that Levi found in one of his own cupboards would be used by Armin to make designs. Levi disappeared further into the kitchen to find eggs and oil, and when he came back, he saw Armin struggling to open the bag of cake mix.

The blonde's arms slightly shook with difficulty as he growled, "Damn it, Levi! This bag was made by Satan!"

Levi rolled his eyes and snatched the plastic bag away from him, successfully tearing it open without any struggle whatsoever. He handed Armin the cake mix, who squeaked something under his breath that sounded like 'yay' and poured the mix into the bowl. An amused grin found its way to his lips at how Armin managed to flow from frustration to his usually cheerful self in a matter of seconds when the problem was resolved. When they were done mixing the batter and preheating the oven, Levi poured the batter into a cake pan, and while he did that, Armin sneaked away from the kitchen for a bit to text Eren. It was only about seven-thirty in the morning, so Eren was probably still asleep (or barely fell asleep, if all went normally). That makes things so much easier.

His message was very simple; _'Don't eat breakfast'_

"Shitty brat," Levi spat at Armin, who hastened to put his phone away. He giggled when he saw that Levi accidentally burned the back of his hand when he put the pan into the oven. The raven gave him a threatening look and threw the bowl at him, which he caught at the very last second. "We're not mixing any more batter unless you clean the bowl, kid,"

Armin stuck his tongue out at him and walked to the sink, retorting playfully, "We're not going to make anything else if you keep burning yourself,"

Levi growled and threw the whisk at the back of Armin's head, who mewled in minor pain. "That one, too,"

"Jerk!" he whined, the feeling of cake mix sticking to his hair making him shiver.

After all the smart comments, bickering, and cleaning was done, Levi plopped down on the sofa, sighing with fatigue as he scrolled through his phone. It was eight in the morning; if Eren was awake, he probably stayed up all night. He's never up this early during vacation. Levi started to pick at the bracelets on his wrist and while he trailed off in his own thoughts, he heard a small giggle from the kitchen. Looking up with curiosity, he saw Armin sitting at the edge of the counter, absentmindedly kicking his legs while his thumbs swept across the screen of his smart phone. He must be text messaging someone – sure enough, when Armin looked up and met questioning gray eyes, his smile widened a bit and he set his phone aside.

"Eren says hi," Armin giggled.

"He stayed up, didn't he?" Levi sighed, looking back forward and settling into the comfy sofa.

He heard the blonde's devious snicker before he said, "No, he woke up a few minutes ago. He's wondering why you haven't sent a text yet,"

"I have a feeling you're bullshitting with me," he sat up on the couch and looked back at Armin, and he saw that the little shit was laying down on his back on the counter, holding the phone up to his face as he read through something (a text from Eren, no doubt). The corner of Levi's mouth twitched into a devious smirk as he warned, "You're going to break something, you fuck,"

"You're no fun. What's the worse that can happen?"

As soon as Armin said that, the smart phone in his hands slid out of his grip, hitting his forehead with a vivid smack. He cursed gravity under his breath while Levi snickered, the bridge of his nose pulsing with minor pain from the impact of the phone. It took them awhile to notice that the smell of bread in the air had intensified a bit. Sure enough, the oven beeped to signal that it was done, Levi got up to go take it out of the oven (Armin insisted that he did so). After burning the back of his hand on the roof of the oven _again_, he set the batch of cupcakes aside on a wooden cutting board. Staring at the burn on the back of his hand, he promised himself that this would be the very last time he ever bakes again. More scars on his arms would only do him worse since he can't hide these ones from prying eyes. They successfully made the bread for the cake and a batch of cupcakes, without a burn to be seen on anything (besides Levi's hand). They impatiently waited for thirty minutes for the last batch of cupcakes to cool off, and meanwhile, Armin started to frost the cake, stopping every now and then to reply to a text. He used a special tool to ice the cake rather than just spreading the frosting with a knife, and to Levi's surprise, it turned out perfectly.

Armin nodded with pride at the outcome, but before he reached for the chocolate syrup to draw on the designs, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Levi watched as Armin's cheerful expression faltered, but it instantly returned when he noticed Levi's hard gaze. He avoided eye contact and set his phone aside on the counter, acting as if he read nothing. The raven's eyes narrowed at this action. After a few minutes of just watching the blonde draw flower petals around the edges of the cake, he finally decided to ask what's been lingering in his mind.

"What did Eren tell you?"

Armin momentarily paused before continuing to draw his design with the syrup. "Why do you want to know?"

Levi crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the counter. "Why are you acting shady?"

"- Y- You always act shady,"

"You're always honest,"

"- How d- do you know it's Eren?"

"Did you know that you stutter when you're hiding something important?"

That last question sounded more like a statement. He decided to ignore it altogether instead of arguing any further or trying to change the subject. It was true, he did know something, and after being so close to Eren for so many years, there were numerous things he wish he didn't know about Eren. Armin tried his hardest to ignore the cold eyes that glared at him, and as soon as he finished adding in the last detail, he set the bottle aside and lifted the plate that held the finished cake. He left to go set it out in the dining room, and as soon as he left, Levi saw the blonde's phone screen ignite with a quick vibration. He knew it was wrong to snoop around, but he was worrying about Eren, so with a mildly hesitant hand, he picked up Armin's phone and opened the conversation with Eren. He quickly scanned through its contents, starting with Armin's first message.

_'Don't eat breakfast.'_

Eren's text was sent about thirty minutes later; _'- You woke me up, you ass.'_

_ 'Not my fault you turn on all of the sounds during the vacation.'_

_ '- I don't always get messages this early.'_

_ 'That's because Levi and I have something for you.'_

_ '- He's there with you? I thought he'd text me if he was...'_

_ 'He's breathing, don't worry.'_

_ '- Tell him I say hi, then.'_

_ 'Done. He doesn't believe me. Are you up to going somewhere later on?'_

_ '- I don't know, I'm kind of tired...'_

_ 'You stayed up, didn't you?'_

_ '- Not exactly.'_

_ 'Did you throw up earlier?'_

_ '- Yesterday. I probably ate something stale.'_

_ 'No, you didn't. You have the stomach of a bear, it's impossible for that to happen. What did you do, Eren?'_

_ '- Don't worry about it.'_

_ 'All those pills in your medicine cabinet better have the same amount when I come over.'_

_ '- … I might need a refill or two.'_

A few minutes later, the latest text was sent: _'Look, nothing bad happened, okay? I just woke up earlier than usual. I promise everything's all right. Don't worry too much about it.'_

Levi quickly closed the conversation and set the phone back down in its original spot. Chances are Armin would find out that he read through his messages anyways, but it was worth the risk. What was going on with Eren? He's not abusing the medications he has, is he? It's not like his father is there to stop him, and chances are pretty damn good that Mikasa doesn't know about it. It was kind of related to what Armin said before; everyone has their own secrets. This was just one secret that he had to gain Eren's trust for. Armin returned from the dining room and reached for the frosting to start on the cupcakes, but despite his cheerful manner, his lips were set to a grim line. He pocketed his phone and picked up the batch of cupcakes to move to the dining room instead, and while they moved locations, Armin bit his lip with hesitation.

Armin asked quietly, "Did you know that it's rude to pry into other people's business?"

"What's wrong with Eren?" Levi growled, his tone a lot more harsher than he intended it to be.

"That's not my story to tell," the blonde hummed, a mischievous giggle leaving his lips when he heard Levi cluck his tongue impatiently.

**o0o0o0o**

_(Thirty minutes later)_

After Levi sent a message to Eren inviting him over, Armin took the liberty to perch himself on the counter again and play with his phone. Levi really didn't care if Armin did that, but what he did care about is if his friend managed to fall off and break a limb. Maybe he's not _that_ delicate, but with the things that Levi's seen (example, not being able to open the bag of cake mix), it may just be possible. Eren showed up about thirty minutes later, and it surprised all of them that Mikasa had no problem whatsoever driving him there. Eren groaned inwardly when his adoptive sister asked him twenty different questions before they left, but at least he was there. They spent the morning together – as a gift, Mikasa gave Eren a hunting knife, and no one will ever know how she managed to get her hands on something so lethal. A pissed off Mikasa with a hunting knife isn't good at all. The knife had a glossy handle that was a dark gray shade, and the actual blade seemed to be sharpened to the point where just applying minor pressure to the tip with the pad of one's thumb would create a decent cut. The blade had normal rectangular-shape at the base, and as it extended towards the tip, it bent downwards and came back up in a smooth curve. When Mikasa presented it to him, her gray eyes gave him a long, hard look, before her stern manner softened greatly to deliver a slightly monotonous 'happy birthday'. When he questioned her gift, she merely shook her head and told him to be careful. Well, if Mikasa was telling him that, he might as well consider it a warning. For? He'll never know.

The morning was still as cold as it was around the time Armin arrived, so Eren brought a jacket along with him. Mikasa mentioned something about Sasha before he slammed the car door shut; it could have been important, but he highly doubted it. He waved his sister goodbye before he rang the doorbell. Thank God that Erwin rarely visited Levi – it almost scared Eren the last time he was greeted by his vice-principle. He could at least get a minute's notice. His stomach growled loudly with hunger, which he reluctantly ignored. Ever since he read the text Armin sent him telling him not to eat breakfast, he set aside his bowl of cereal and coffee mug. The lack of caffeine running through his system that morning was also the reason why he was yawning more often than usual. He didn't expect anything too fancy for his birthday, either. It felt like another ordinary day. That was until the front door opened. Before he knew it, Armin threw himself out the front door and wrapped his arms around the brunette in a hug that could have broken his ribs.

"Happy birthday!" Armin squeaked excitedly, tightening the hold around his best friend's middle.

"A- Armin... you're... crushing me -!" Eren grunted, gasping for his breath and pushing against Armin's shoulders to signal him to let go. "I'm breaking, d- damn it... Levi, help!"

At the mention of Levi's name, Armin finally let go of him with a small giggle and said in a devious tone, "I won't be the one breaking you,"

"Wait, what?"

Armin's bright smile made him forget about the pain in his ribs, and when he looked over to the doorway, he saw Levi leaning against its frame, his arms crossed over his chest. An amused look was seen in his silver-gray eyes, a half-smile displayed nicely on his soft lips. A flustered blush slapped across Eren's cheeks, which only made Levi's 'smile' widen.

"Happy birthday, you brat," Levi said, a small huff leaving his lips when Armin trotted back into the house, cheerfully humming the familiar tune of 'Happy Birthday To You'. "I guess today's the day you get to force feed yourself cake until you throw up?"

Eren held his arms out for a hug, which the raven immediately obliged to. "You'll uppercut me if I throw up on you, though,"

Levi embraced his lover tightly, pressing a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth. "I'll be gentle, I promise,"

"Don't make a promise you can't keep," Eren snapped playfully, a bright smile ripping across his lips when he leaned in to kiss Levi.

Their lips moved slowly in perfect synch as they started up their passionate kiss, both absentmindedly sinking further into the embrace. Eren involuntarily moaned when he felt Levi gently bite down on his lower lip, teasingly pulling against the plump flesh and letting go. The brunette tilted his head further as the kiss deepened, eagerly granting Levi access when he felt a warm appendage drag against his lips. The feeling of Levi's tongue rolling over his own and exploring his dank cavern was just so foreign... but he loved it. They broke away from the kiss a few moments later; part of the reason was because Eren was already left completely out of breath, and the other part was because Levi felt a familiar prickle at the nape of his neck. He glanced over to the neighboring window, and sure enough, a pair of curious brown eyes were watching them. The raven let out an annoyed 'tch' at how nosy his neighbors were, but he ignored them and leaned back in to kiss his lover. Eren reluctantly tried to pull away, though; the fact that they were being watched as way too embarrassing for comfort.

"Levi, stop it -"

"- Why? I can put up a show," Levi cut in with a devious purr, admiring the vivid blush on Eren's cheeks.

Right when he was about to capture his lover's lips for his own, he felt a sharp pain at the back of his head, along with the sound of cardboard hitting the doorstep. Eren snickered as Levi growled in disapproval and turned around to see what it was, and with an annoyed twitch of the eye, he saw an empty box of cake mix on the ground. Armin was seen a few feet away from the door, his arms folded tightly over his chest and nodding with pride.

"You're letting all the cold air in," Armin explained, apparently pleased with the way he pissed Levi off. "It's either you come inside and eat or you stay out there and entertain the neighbors some more,"

"It's n- not like that!" Eren spluttered, pushing away from Levi, who's hold around his waist only tightened.

"Fucking brat," Levi growled towards Armin, who merely smiled and scampered off to make himself at home on the couch.

After exchanging quick kisses, they went inside the house, with Levi kicking the door shut behind them. The smell of bread reached Eren's nostrils, which he eagerly sniffed, his stomach growling in demand for food once more. He was surprised when he saw what those two made on their own; though he chuckled inwardly when he saw the decorations. Eren knew full well that Armin loved to draw patterns of flowers and vines over his cakes, and it seemed like this time was no exception. Written in the middle of the cake with elegant writing (most likely Levi's) was: 'Happy Birthday, Brat'. He couldn't help but smile at this. They decided to save the cake for later and went for the cupcakes instead, which has frosting delicately swirled and going inward, the middle being left in a pointed tip.

As much as Levi disapproved of eating in the living room, he pushed his clean-freak self aside and took a batch of cupcakes out into the living room, setting the platter on the coffee table. After a few short arguments and debates, they settled with watching old Disney movies, mainly because Eren's childhood revolved a lot around the movies like 'The Fox and the Hound' and 'Lilo and Stitch'. Some of those memories were actually very embarrassing, even today. When the movie 'Lilo and Stitch' started to play, Eren and Levi snuggled up together on the couch while Armin was on the one towards the right left of them, laying comfortably on his stomach. Levi was sitting upright at the end of their couch while Eren nested snugly between his legs, leaning comfortably back against the raven's firm chest. The coffee table was close enough for them to reach out to it without strain.

At some point in the movie, when Eren was comfortable enough to reach for another cupcake and unwrap it, Armin mentioned with a devious tone; "Levi, has Eren ever told you about the first time we watched Lilo and Stitch?"

Levi grunted in question, and he heard Eren growl into his cupcake, "Armin, mention it again and I swear I'll dropkick you,"

Armin shifted over to his side and turned to the couple, the movie now left forgotten. "Come on, it was hilarious!"

"Not on your part,"

"- It was your fault, though,"

"I call bullshit!"

Levi slithered his arms under Eren's to wrap around his middle. He gave his lover a small squeeze and asked, "Is one of you going to tell me a damned story or are you guys going to shut the fuck up and enjoy the movie?"

"Before we tell you, just keep in mind that it was Eren's fault," Armin immediately piped up, a grin spreading across his lips from the glare his best friend shot at him.

Eren swallowed his mouthful of bread and frosting and started, "When Armin and I were little, we tried reenacting the scene where Stitch is blaming Lilo for touching him when she really wasn't -"

"- and we were on Eren's counter at the time -" Armin cut in with a giggle.

"- Shit got real -"

"- So he pushed me off the counter -"

"- No, he fell off on his own -"

"- and that was the first time I broke my arm," the blonde concluded strongly, looking up to see Levi's reaction.

Levi wasn't sure whether to laugh or not. He thought for a moment and asked slowly, "Hunter, did you seriously break your best friend's arm by pushing him off a counter after losing a fake argument?"

"That's not what happened!" Eren whined, ignoring Armin's vivid laugh.

"Stupid brats," Levi pressed a kiss to top of Eren's head and added, "You'd think that the little shit would have learned from that. He treats my counter like his own fucking chair,"

Armin rolled back over to his stomach and rest his head on his arms. He hummed freely, "Yeah, I'm magically a little shit because of that. I'll be all right, as long as you don't place Eren next to me while I'm there,"

When he looked over to his two friends, he saw that they were both gawking at him with a look of utter disbelief on their face. Armin's brow furrowed with confusion when he asked, "What? Is there frosting on my chin or something?"

After a small pause, Levi said, "That's the first time I've heard you cuss. Eren, are you sure this is the Armin you know and hate?"

"I think so," Eren went back to eating his second (or was it his third?) cupcake. "I didn't think he had it in him,"

The blonde flushed scarlet when he saw Levi nod in agreement to that. "W- What do you mean?! I was just saying what you've been calling me lately, sh- sheesh!"

"We're a bad influence," Levi sighed into Eren's hair, slowly turning his attention back towards the television.

Towards the end of the movie, Armin stalked off into the kitchen to retrieve something, leaving Eren and Levi alone to watch the last five or ten minutes. The raven dozed off at some point, and when the credits started to play, he jerked awake – he felt Eren wriggling in his arms. What made that embarrassing was the fact that Levi had been clinging to Eren in a loving embrace, the soothing warmth making him want to drift back to sleep. Instead of falling asleep like he wanted to, his gray eyes widened when they saw the [semi] small pile of cupcake wrappers pooling at his lover's waist. Eren yawned into the back of his hand, a small part of him disappointed that the intensity of Levi's hold lessened when he awoke.

"Brat?"

"Yeah?"

When Eren looked over his shoulder, Levi asked, "Just how many cupcakes did you eat...?"

"Uh..." Eren looked at the mess at his lap, thought for a moment, and guessed with an innocent tone in his voice, "A lot?"

"I can't believe it," the raven sighed, pressing a soft kiss to the top of Eren's head. "Don't come bitching to me when you have a stomach ache,"

He rolled his eyes and leaned in for a kiss, but Levi gently shoved him away. When he whined in protest, Levi merely stated, "I'm not kissing you until you brush your teeth, kid,"

"It's my birthday!" Eren complained.

"Right. Congratulations on surviving seventeen years," Levi said with a bored tone.

"You're mean," the brunette pouted, trying to wriggle free from Levi's firm grip.

His lover dangerously purred into his ear, "Since I'm a mean person, I'm not letting you go,"

Eren's face flushed a pretty shade of scarlet at this statement. He continued to wriggle and thrash in Levi's arms, his fleshy rear gradually starting to grind into the raven's crotch. Levi's breath hitched at the sudden contact, but Eren was too busy to notice this. Small shocks of pleasure coursed through Levi's veins, and the very dark portion of him wanted Eren to continue grinding into his crotch – he involuntarily held Eren closer for that reason. Hell, the brunette could have been doing it on purpose at this point. The sudden sound of snapping toward the kitchen gained his attention, and during that moment of distraction, Eren sunk his teeth into his lover's hand.

"Fuck," Levi hissed, retracting his hands and massaging the area that had been bit. While the brunette crawled off the couch and reached for the last cupcake, Levi looked over his shoulder to question why Armin (who else would it be?) would make that noise. "What do you want?"

"Come here," Armin said quietly. "I need you to help me for a second, please,"

After a moment of hesitation, he got up from the couch to go help Armin with whatever he needed. On the way, he shot Eren a quick glance, who looked up at him through large, innocent green eyes, his mouth full with bread and frosting. Sure, Eren may be a brat, but sometimes he was cute as hell and could get off the hook with just that trait alone. When he entered the kitchen, he saw that Armin was holding a rather thin box wrapped in emerald green wrapping paper, topped with a red bow. He showed Levi the present he had for Eren earlier, and during those thirty minutes of waiting for the brunette to get there, Armin was agonizing himself with what his best friend may think of his present. This was most likely going to happen again. In the distance, the background music in the credits of the music was playing cheerfully, helping to soften Armin's overall mood.

"Do you think he's going to like it?" the blonde asked, staring at his wrapped present in disbelief. "All holy hell, what if he doesn't? Or it's not the right size? Maybe I shouldn't have finished it by hand... what if it falls apart? Levi, what -"

"- Breathe, damn it," Levi sighed, placing a firm, soothing hand on Armin's shoulder. Sure enough, his friend's posture started to crack into a more comfortable state. "I'm sure he'll like it. Fuck, it wouldn't even score a damn ten on a one to ten scale, it'd go about twelve or thirteen,"

"Don't drop numbers on me just to make me feel better!" Armin snapped, holding the present close to his chest as if it were a stuffed animal.

The raven pinched the bridge of his nose and absentmindedly asked, "Does this happen every year?"

"_Yes!_" Armin continued in his defense, "It's only because I'm freaking worried about what he'll think! Then there's you – he'd probably hate you for that present you got him! You spent way too much!"

"No such thing as 'spending too much' when it comes to Eren," Levi replied, a lighthearted smile tugging at his lips when he saw Armin scoff.

"He won't let you live it down,"

Levi rolled his eyes and teased, "Then why don't we go find out?"

The blonde stuck his nose in the air and let out a frustrated 'hmph', leaving the kitchen to go present his gift to Eren while Levi went up to his room to retrieve his. It's true, he did spend a lot on is present for his lover, but money really wasn't an issue. Honestly, the whole idea came from Lauren, who came over to visit two days earlier. His present was wrapped with white wrapping paper that was lined with 'Happy Birthday' in various colors, and he didn't bother to add something like a bow this time, mainly because he didn't have any at home, and wrapping was a last-minute thing. The box was much larger compared to Armin's, and it was a bit heavy, but not to the point where it was hard to carry. Entering the room, he saw Armin gossiping to Eren about something, who was cleaning up the mess he made. Armin didn't lie when he said that Eren was a bottomless pit. The blonde rolled his eyes at Eren's flustered expression when Levi handed him the present, a mischievous smile forming on his lips.

Levi took a seat next to Eren on the couch, watching as he weighed the box in his hands. "I'm scared. Is it okay to shake the box?"

"I wouldn't recommend that," the raven said with a grin, shooting Armin a look, who gave him an encouraging thumbs-up. "Who's are you opening first?"

"I don't know,"

"Open mine first. You won't feel so disappointed if you do," Armin suggested, rolling onto his back on the couch and picking at a stray thread of string poking out from the scratchy material.

He raised a brow at this. "What do you mean?"

"Don't worry about it," both Levi and Armin said in unison.

Eren took their advice and tried not to worry about it... but what was there to worry about? He took Armin's present in hand and ripped off the green wrapping paper, taking a second to admire the jade color that complimented his own eyes. The box was a creamy white color that had a removable lid, and with two hesitant hands, he removed the top. He narrowed his eyes as he pulled out a brown jacket, but he gasped when he scanned the material; the jacket itself didn't seem to have a possible way of closing the two halves in front, and on the right breast pocket was a badge of the Wings of Humanity. The same symbol was embroidered neatly on the back, and what made his mood brighten the most was the fact that Armin had actually spent his time and money making something that resembles the military uniform in his story.

"Holy shit, Armin, did you make this?" Eren asked with a small sigh, running a thumb across the neat sewing line along the left sleeve. While Armin nodded vigorously in pride, his curious eyes scanned the rest of the work, and he noticed that the thread was barely visible across the right sleeve. It looked much too loose to be made by a sewing machine. Looking up at Armin, he asked, "Why didn't you use a sewing machine for the right side?"

They both watched as Armin paled to an ashen gray color, sitting up on the couch and edging to the side. "M- My sewing machine kinda broke down the other day, so I had t- to finish by hand..."

Levi and Eren knew that this wasn't the reason why, but they weren't going to push further. It most likely concerned the deaths of Mitabi and Ian, and now certainly wasn't the time to bring that up. To Armin's relief, they didn't mention anything else, and he watched as Eren slipped on the jacket with an excited flash of the eye. It fit him perfectly. The blonde curled his right fist over his heart, giving Eren a soldier's salute from his novel, a cheeky grin tugging at his lips. Levi shook his head in amusement when Eren exchanged the same gesture, muttering something about them being stupid brats. After bunching the jade wrapping paper up into a neat ball, Eren set Levi's present on his lap and hesitated for a moment; if he was correct, he heard Armin mention something about him hating Levi for his present. While he peeled the wrapping paper away, Levi's expression was still neutral, but his eyes betrayed him as they sparked with impatience for Eren's reaction.

When Eren saw the company logo on the box, he opened the lid and shook his head in disbelief. "Did you seriously -" _(His green eyes scanned over a glossy cover, which made him close the box and bury his face into the palm of his hand)_ "- Holy shit, Levi, how much did you spend on this?"

"I told you!" Armin whispered.

Levi ignored Armin's cheeky remark and replied casually, "Don't worry so much about it,"

"I'm going to worry about it!" he snapped, opening the lid to the box and pulling out its contents.

Levi actually bought him a laptop for his birthday. A God forsaken bit of steel and plastic that most certainly outdoes his own computer at home that survived several viruses and blue-screens over the years. He didn't believe it at first, but all of his questions were answered (except for the one asking for the price) when he opened the laptop and saw his reflection in the screen. It was a silky, jet-black color, and the screen was about fifteen inches wide, its keyboard completely spotless and reflecting the image of his hand over it. Levi felt pleased when he saw Eren smile broadly and shake his head, closing the laptop and slipping it back into its box along with the charger.

"I can't believe you," Eren laughed weakly, his smile widening when Levi leaned over and kissed his temple. "I swear to God I'll be spoiled raw if you keep doing this,"

The raven pressed another soft kiss to the shell of Eren's ear. "That's the point, brat,"

"Now he'll stop bugging me to help him build his own computer," Armin sighed in relief. "You did both of us a favor, Levi,"

Eren shrugged. "It's probably better than my own. I know that for sure,"

"Well, now you can work on your novel outside of home," Levi said, crossing one leg over the other in a somewhat business-like manner. "You won't be tied to your own computer or shitty public computers to work on it anymore,"

"I seriously don't know how to thank you," the brunette sighed, gently kissing his lover.

Levi ran a thumb along Eren's jawline, muttering against his lips, "Just this is fine,"

Their lips met and locked like puzzle pieces. Levi loosely draped Eren's waist with his arm in a soft embrace, cautious not to knock the box off Eren's lap when he pulled him closer. They finally became aware of Armin's presence when they heard a muffled squeal, and on instinct, they both broke away from the kiss.

"That's so cute," Armin squeaked, the comment making a strong shade of scarlet dust Eren's cheeks.

Levi disapproved of this greatly (he actually felt _embarrassed_), but he couldn't deny that Eren's vivid blush appealed to him, in more ways then one – but no, he couldn't think of that now. After watching another Disney movie and making dull comments that usually made one or two of them laugh, Armin went home, leaving Eren and Levi alone once more. At some point during their fifth movie, Eren dozed off on the couch in his lover's arms, his stomach feeling a bit uneasy for being filled with cake rather than actual food. Levi sighed as he momentarily tightened his embrace around Eren, nuzzling into his hair and breathing in the sweet scent of vanilla. Moments like these are the _best_. He heard a soft mumble before Eren started to resurface, idly readjusting himself in Levi's arms to press his forehead against his lover's chest. Levi ran his fingers through Eren's hair, his gray eyes softening at the sight of Eren snuggling into his chest, the messy chocolate locks tickling his chin.

"Levi?" Eren mumbled. When his lover grunted in response, he asked, "What time is it?"

Levi idly breathed in the familiar smell of vanilla, taking a moment to process what Eren asked him. "How the hell should I know?"

"I have a feeling Mikasa will uppercut me if I don't call by six," he murmured into Levi's chest, reluctantly pulling away to look up at the clock above them. It read thirty past one. "Hmph... in five hours, then. Can't I just stay here for those five hours?"

Levi merely shrugged. "No, you can't. You'll probably get bored,"

"Then give me something to do," Eren purred in a suggestive tone, peering up at Levi through mischievous green orbs.

The corner of the raven's mouth twitched. Did he nearly smile? Like hell Eren will ever know. "What did you have in mind, then?"

Eren 'innocently' placed his hands on Levi's chest, propping himself into an upright position and humming, "Nothing in particular,"

"Nothing?" Levi took the collar of his lover's shirt in his fist and [none-too-gently] pulled him closer, murmuring against his lips, "You sure about that, Hunter?"

A vivid blush stained Eren's cheeks when he felt Levi gingerly bite into his bottom lip. "I asked for something to do, didn't I?"

"I know you did, you brat,"

With that said, Levi tightened the hold he had on his lover's collar and kissed him, their lips roughly moving together. It wasn't long before he sought out entrance by running his tongue along Eren's lower lip, and sure enough, Eren instantly complied with a faint moan. The sweet taste of chocolate reached Levi's taste buds as he slid his tongue along Eren's, and with a sharp outtake of breath, he tilted his head further, yearning to taste more. The brunette ran his fingers through Levi's hair with one hand while the other gripped at the armrest of the couch, his hand tightening around the material when he felt Levi caress his clothed waist. With a curious hand, Levi lifted the shirt up to the brunette's chest, the sudden chill making his lover gasp. He moaned softly as Levi gave a rough suck to his tongue, slowly running a hand up his chest in the process.

Levi took his time to admire the faint outline of muscle and the smoothness of the tan skin at his fingertips, letting go of the grip he had on Eren's shirt to touch with both appendages. Their oxygen supply began to wear thin as the raven continued to caress, running his hands over the heated skin and mapping out the mildly defined curve of his hips and lower back. Once it became too hard to breathe, Eren broke away from the kiss. Levi's silver-gray eyes met with jade-green, and they both sparked with two different emotions; one was mild lust, and the other was quite hard to understand. They panted heavily for their breath, especially Eren, who's face was completely flushed. Levi rest a hand on Eren's hip while the other reached up to cup his lover's cheek, his usually unimpressed mask starting to shatter with a look of both concern and minor arousal.

"You're not uncomfortable, are you?" Levi asked, softly running his index and middle finger along Eren's jawline.

The brunette merely shook his head, and for a moment, Levi assumed he was going to say something when he opened his mouth, but instead, his breath slightly hitched when he felt Eren's mouth envelop the two digits. A silky tongue rolled over his fingers, teeth gently nibbling on the skin, his bright eyes half-lidded and clouded. Seeing this sent an electric shock down to Levi's groin, but he reluctantly snapped out of it. Pulling his two fingers away from Eren's mouth, his lips cracked into an amused smirk.

He asked plainly, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Y- You know full well...!" Eren growled as he looked away with embarrassment, trailing off with a small murmur, "It's not... unless you don't... if you don't want me, then..."

"It's not that I don't want you -" _(Levi pushed Eren back and sat up, who questioningly raised an eyebrow at him)_ "- But in this situation, I'm dropping politics on your ass, brat,"

"God damn it, Levi!" Eren huffed, stubbornly crossing his arms over his chest. "Don't lecture me!"

He rolled his eyes at Eren. "Try to stop me, then. Underage sex is against the law, even if the partners are in _'love'_ and plan to get married when they exit high school. But then again, I'm overage and you aren't, so doesn't that technically make me a pedophile?"

"You're only, what, four years older than me? That's not even that bad of an age difference!" the brunette whined. "Does it really matter if you're a 'pedophile'? Shit, I don't even think that applies with you! You're only twenty, and I'm seventeen!"

"I know, kid. Now that I think of it, the law only mentions intercourse -" _(He roughly pushed Eren back and pinned him down to the couch, successfully nudging between his legs)_ "So that means we can have a little_ fun_, doesn't it?"

"W- What the hell are you -" _(Eren's sentence was interrupted with a bright gasp as he felt Levi's thigh grind into his crotch, the friction making his semi-erect cock twitch)_ "- Wait, L- Levi, you said -"

"- You're the one who started it. Expect consequences," Levi cut in with a purr, applying more pressure to Eren's clothed arousal.

"Y- You... jerk..."

Levi weaved their fingers together (the saliva that covered his two fingers were payed no mind to by either of them) and pinned Eren's hands on either side of his head, watching as Eren bit into his lower lip to conceal his moans. The way Eren's face contorted into pleasure made Levi sigh with arousal, the feeling of his own erection starting to press against the fabric of his boxers being mildly uncomfortable. Eren yelped as Levi licked the shell of his ear, wantonly rolling his hips against his lover's thigh in time with his movements. Levi nibbled on Eren's earlobe as he released one of his hands, moving it down to his lover's lower abdomen and along his pant line.

"Is this okay?" the raven asked with a mutter, lightly tugging on Eren's jeans.

After hearing a small gasp that sounded like a 'yes', Levi unbuttoned his lover's jeans and reached into his boxers. The sudden contact of Levi's hand on Eren's cock made the brunette utter a small cry of ecstasy, which urged him further. He teasingly circled a finger along the head of Eren's erection, slowly swiping over the slit and smearing the pre-come that had gathered there. Eren gripped his lover's shoulder with a small sigh, impatiently bucking his hips. Levi ran his fingers along the underside of his cock, gently scraping his nails against the foreskin and earning a wanton moan. Eren silently questioned why Levi seemed so skilled when it came to... 'touching'... but questioning that now certainly wasn't a good idea. He arched his back and whimpered as Levi roughly ground the pad of his thumb against the slit, taking his painfully sweet time to actually wrap his slender fingers around his cock. As if to make up for it, Levi vigorously pumped his lover's arousal, kissing at his neck and taking minor precautions not to mark his skin. Eren felt his climax reach him with a sweet wave of pleasure, an excited moan leaving his lips as his seed spilled from his manhood. His come covered the palm of Levi's hand, dribbling down his wrist and coming into contact with the very many bracelets he wore. Levi's eye twitched in minor disapproval, but the urge to cringe never crossed his path; he pressed a sweet kiss to Eren's lips and tucked the now flaccid member away. Eren was lightly panting as he came down from the high of his orgasm, his green eyes questioning the raven as he pulled away.

"Hey... what about y- you?" Eren asked, his voice cracking towards the end of his question.

Levi stood up from the couch and gave his lover a small grin. "I have to clean up the mess you made, and... take care of business,"

Sure enough, when Eren's curious eyes wandered downwards, he saw Levi's clothed erection eagerly pressing against his jeans. It must have been uncomfortable. He felt bad for not taking the chance to pleasure Levi as well, and some part of him felt remorse for getting a bit of his seed on Levi's bracelets. He knew how much those meant to the raven. Eren watched his lover disappear off into the hallway, and with a small sigh, he got up from the couch to go search for the cake that was made earlier.


	17. Barbarous

**Note:** _Whoah_, did I just write that?

**Disclaimer:** I'm glad I brought my library card, because I'm checking you out.

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_**Chapter Seventeen; Barbarous**_

Eren's large eyes peered out the window next to him, watching as several black, gray, and white cars zoomed by. The bus their school rented was one of the newer models, so for once, the seat Eren sat in wasn't torn and covered with graffiti. It was the last week of school, and as some sort of celebration for the Juniors and Seniors, Erwin and Pixis managed to 'rent' a local zoo for their school to roam for the day, along with a few other high schools in the area. Most of the students that signed up to go were actually excited to see the animals, while some of them just tagged along to kill time. That included Levi. Eren's lover had no interest in the zoo whatsoever, but after what felt like hours of pleading, Eren finally managed to get Levi to sign up for it. At some point during their bus ride, Eren lost interest in his phone and tucked it away, slowly sinking back into his seat and staring at the window. Next to him was Levi, who had one leg crossed over the other and an elbow propped on his knee, slumping over a bit and resting his head on one folded hand. Levi had his ear buds on, and if Eren strained his ears, the heavy beat of drums and a harsh voice was barely audible. Hell, if anything, Eren would guess that he heard screaming – but then again, it wasn't his place to judge what the raven listened to, and he enjoyed listening to death metal on different occasions.

Behind him was Armin, who had his nose stuck in a comic, and next to him was Jean, who was leaning against the window, his amber eyes watching a stray ant crawl across the windowsill with very mild interest. Across from them was Marco and Daz; Marco was also reading (but it was book, not a comic) and Daz was slumped to the side, snoring soundly. Across from Eren and Levi were Reiner and Bertolt, who seemed to be arguing over something. Eren started to draw small patterns over the glass out of complete boredom until he felt someone flick the back of his head, the small prickle of pain making him growl with frustration.

While he turned around to complain, Jean cut him off with a question; "Oi, Eren, which animal are you going to see first?"

Eren thought for a moment and answered, "I told Levi earlier that I really wanted to see the horses, but now that I think of it, that's kind of pointless. You're right here,"

Levi looked up when he barely heard his name through the music while Armin snickered into his comic book. Marco let out a very tired sigh from across them and joined their conversation with, "Come on, you guys! We're going to relax for awhile, not pick fights!"

Jean chose to ignore Marco and rolled his eyes. With a small grin, he lightheartedly stated, "Sorry, I can't hear you, I'm neighing too loud,"

When both Eren and Armin burst out laughing, Levi removed one of the ear buds with curiosity. Marco decided to snap his book shut and excitedly suggested, "We should all go to see the tigers!"

"I agree with this one," Levi stated plainly, tilting his head over to a beaming Marco. "I like tigers. Or maybe lions. Cheetahs are nice, too -"

"- We get it, you're obsessed with cats," Jean cut in, his grin widening significantly when everyone in their conversation laughed at his joke, all except for Levi. The raven merely shrugged and straightened up in his seat.

Armin closed his comic book and tucked it away in his vest, stretching out his back as he said, "Well, we're going to be here for the next six hours, and that's more than enough time to go around and check out all the animals. Just go by section. I think the big cats are first,"

This was good advice for Levi and Marco. While they silently praised Armin, Eren gave Jean a small glare and said, "I'm going to have to warn the zookeepers that one of their horses got out,"

Jean crossed his arms and snapped playfully, "I'll fuck you up, Jaeger,"

Levi's death glare towards Jean softened greatly when Eren let out a small chuckle and muttered, "I'd like to see you try,"

**o0o0o0o**

When they were finally dropped off at the zoo, the vice-principle made sure to remind everyone to keep their ID on at all times and stick together in a group of at least three. Everyone in Eren's small group of friends decided to stick together, and the only three people that were absent were Mikasa, Ymir, and Krista. No one knew if they showed up, but knowing Mikasa and Ymir, they're probably back at school. Mikasa wasn't feeling very well and decided to stay back, but Ymir... she's been very _possessive _of Krista lately – it wasn't like her possessive and overprotective nature towards Krista was unusual, it was just getting worse (for others) lately. Since they were all together, some sort of verbal (or even physical) fight could occur between Eren and Jean, and before Levi had the chance to threaten Jean in any way possible, Armin declared that he'd tomahawk them with his books if they started any kind of fight whatsoever. They knew better than to make Armin prove himself, because frankly, the little guy's strong when he really wants to be.

After about two hours of exploring the area, they came to a stop at a small rest area with various food stands and gift shops. They all agreed to meet back in an hour while they got lunch or browsed through the small shops; Connie and Sasha were seen fighting over a baked potato with ridiculous fighting stances; Reiner, Annie, and Bertolt were comfortably talking under the cool shade of a nearby tree; Petra was arguing with Oluo; Armin disappeared off with Marco to go roam a very small bookstore; and Eren and Levi decided to check out the nearest gift shop. Levi's gray eyes sparked with mild interest as he came across a necklace with a very small lion, curiously scanning the area to find one with a panther instead. Just as he was about to reach for a different necklace, he felt someone shove some sort of headband on him, accompanied with a devious giggle. Levi growled as he reached up to take them off, but he felt smooth material come into contact with his skin. Next to him, Eren was wearing a broad smile, holding up his phone as if presenting something on the blank screen.

"What the hell did you put on me?" Levi asked, peering into the blank phone screen to see his reflection.

He growled when he saw that Eren – his brat of a lover – managed to find cat ears. The headband had cat ears (or rather, lion ears, judging by the sandy color and puffy 'fur') attached to it, the material very soft to the touch. He yanked the headband off and shoved it into Eren's hand, who was trying his hardest to hold in a laugh. Some of the tan fur around the ears rubbed off on Levi's hair, who had minor trouble trying to pick it out.

Once Levi successfully removed the extra fur, Eren tucked his phone away and presented the lion ears to his lover, who's silver-gray eyes twitched in disapproval. "Come on, Levi! It looks adorable on you!"

"I'm not adorable," Levi muttered fiercely, turning his head away with his nose in the air as if the ears were a discarded bit of trash.

The brunette pouted and ran his finger through the fluffy material. "Hmph! You won't even wear it for a minute?"

"I don't see you buying that thing, so no, I won't,"

As soon as his lover said this, Eren peered over to the woman restocking the bracelets and called, "Excuse me? How much is this?"

What a little shit.

**o0o0o0o**

By the time Armin and Marco returned to the spot everyone was supposed to meet up at, forty minutes have already passed, and most of the students in their small group were starting to wander back to home base. They were greeted with a bright smile by Eren, who had an arm wrapped around a dangerously fuming Levi. The duo found it very hard to contain their laughter when they saw that Levi was actually wearing lion ears, his gray eyes darkened black with disapproval and his arms stubbornly folded over his chest. Eren rolled his eyes at Levi's growl and hugged him a bit tighter.

When Armin and Marco took a seat on either side of them, the brunette stated playfully, "What do you think of my new kitten? I name him Fluffy,"

Judging by the dangerous look on Levi's face, it was wise that Marco chose to sit beside Eren. Levi growled angrily, "I'm _not_ your fucking -"

"He's so cute!" Armin cut in, curiously poking at one of the fake ears. He was lucky he quickly retracted his hand right afterward; his heart jumped with fear when Levi snapped at him, the raven's teeth clamping viciously over nothing but air. "... He's not really friendly, is he?"

"Not even to his owner," Eren sighed.

Levi actually felt embarrassed at this point. He sunk further into Eren's side with another growl, saying with a barbarous snarl, "I'll uppercut you if you make me wear these again, got that, kid?"

His lover merely hummed lazily, "You can take it off before Connie and Sasha come. They'll probably give you shit for it later,"

With this, Levi fell silent. Eren took this moment to scan the area; he saw every person there except Jean. "Marco, where's Jean?"

"Oh, about that," a flustered blush formed on Marco's cheeks as he scratched the nape of his neck and replied, "Well, we kind of ran into him at the bookstore and Armin forced him to carry all of our books,"

Eren gave his best friend prideful nod, who shook his head and protested, "That's not true! He offered to carry them for us!"

"But we lost him in a crowd..." Marco said guiltily, staring off into the distance. "... I think he broke his arms with your bag, Armin,"

The blonde rolled his eyes. "It's just a few books, that's all,"

"Knowing you, that's a horrible understatement," Levi stated from the depths of Eren's one-armed embrace.

The statement was so true, they all laughed, except for the person who said it, who was still fuming about the ears. God knows why he disapproves of it so badly, to the point where he looked like he could murder Eren in a matter of seconds. A few minutes later, Jean showed up with Connie and Sasha, who were taunting him about the 'luggage' he was carrying. When he dropped the bags onto the floor next to their table, he let out a relieved sigh and took a seat across from Armin. They payed no mind to Levi's ears; Sasha, of course, disappeared off into another food stand while Connie decided to pull a prank on a nearby group of schoolgirls with a fake spider he found.

"Did you have fun?" Eren asked Jean with a pleased grin, who merely shrugged.

"I don't know, does breaking your back with bags full of books sound fun?"

Armin giggled at this while Marco gave his childhood friend an apologetic look. Levi slipped away from Eren's embrace and removed the lion ears, shoving them into his backpack without a second look. Instead, he wandered off with his phone in hand towards a nearby restroom, leaving his lover and friends to converse on their own. It's not like there's a risk of Eren and Jean fighting with Armin present, so there was no need to worry. Levi sighed with boredom as he turned his phone off; it was about to die, so there was no point in keeping it on. There wasn't too many people around the area, and as much as he disapproved of using public restrooms, it was better than making himself go through hell waiting for another three hours. He'll make sure to take more than one shower when he gets home.

Before he stepped into the restroom, he heard the echo of a heavy bag hitting the floor, along with panicked voice, "W- What the hell?!"

His instinct got the better of him in this situation, and he stopped in his tracks to listen. That voice sounded very familiar, and so did the second one; "It's either now or never,"

"Reiner, no! I can't just -"

As soon as that was said, he lost all of his interest and stepped into the restroom. Reiner and Bertolt came into view – Reiner was clutching onto his friend's wrist with an impatient face while Bertolt was pulling away, holding a thick book in his free hand. The title of the book was smudged, but if Levi had to guess, Bertolt was using it to defend himself. Or maybe not; the brunette would never do that, even to save his own damned life. The sudden entrance took the duo by full surprise, and Bertolt's face flushed with embarrassment.

Levi rolled his eyes at their surprised looks. "We're leaving in a few minutes, so hurry up and get it done,"

With that, he turned on his heel to leave. Bertolt called after him with a flustered squeak, "It's n- not like that!"

**o0o0o0o**

Levi yawned as he leaned against Eren, envying the fact the brunette didn't forget to charge his phone the previous night. While Eren scrolled through his phone, their classmates sparked conversation with one another, except for Annie, who seemed to be waiting for Reiner and Bertolt to return from the restroom. The thought of those two made him shiver; God knows what was happening earlier. Jean, Armin, and Marco disappeared as well, presumably to raid the bookstore again before they left (but Jean was most likely dragged along with them). Eren heard Marco mention something about the three of them visiting the tiger exhibit together for a short while before they moved on, but they would have to hurry up because everyone planned on leaving soon. Ten minutes turned to twenty, then thirty, and that was when they started to worry. It's either those three got lost somehow or they moved on without the rest of the group. In the midst of Eren's worry, he caught sight of Armin, who was talking excitedly to a grinning Jean. The only problem with this was that Marco wasn't with them.

Before Armin could spark conversation, Eren started impatiently, "Where's Marco?"

"Hah?" Jean tilted his head to the side in question and said, "We thought he ran off to talk to you guys,"

Panic started to overwhelm him. Eren stood from his seat (despite Levi's disapproving mutter) and almost frantically asked, "You're saying you don't know where he is? I thought you guys were going to the tiger exhibit, what the hell happened? Mr. Pixis will strangle us -"

"- Oi, brat, calm down," Levi cut in. "There's nothing to worry about,"

Petra sunk into the seat next to Levi, followed shortly by Oluo, and she wrapped her arms around Levi's neck in a playful manner. Her sweet voice aided in calming Eren down; "I overheard you guys, and think about it, Marco wouldn't break the rules and go off on his own. He probably just lost track of time with the other two,"

Levi's eye twitched in minor disapproval of Petra hugging him so tightly, but he ignored the urge to push his childhood friend away and suggested, "Why don't we just look for him?"

Eren sunk back into his seat and sighed, "Where would he be, though? This place is huge,"

Oluo finally joined the conversation with a scoff; "He mentioned the tiger exhibit, right? Where else do you think he'll be, you brat?"

Petra unwrapped her arms from Levi and rolled her eyes, growling, "Quit trying to copy Levi,"

"As if! What makes you think I'd -" _(Oluo's sentence was cut off with a pained yelp, and shortly after, blood started to seep out of the corners of his mouth)_ "- Ack, my tongue!"

Both Levi and Petra let out highly disappointed sighs. Just how the hell does he manage to bite his tongue when he's doing nothing but sitting still in his seat? Eren thought for a moment – it's true, Marco did mention the tiger exhibit, so wouldn't he be there? It's unlike him to break the rules like that, but what other two people would he be with? No one in their small group was missing except for Marco. Maybe it was the past deaths of his schoolmates that made him paranoid. Jean, Eren, and Levi decided to go to the exhibit and look for him while Armin stayed behind with Petra, shooting their backs a highly concerned look before trying to spark conversation.

Jean took the lead, and while they ventured down the path leading to the exhibit, he stretched his arms over his head and groaned, "I can't wait until we get out of here. I'm bored as hell,"

The other two replied in unison, "So am I,"

There was a small clearing that lead to the exhibit, which was a sort of 'pit' that was blocked off with waist-high fencing. Eren and Levi looked around while Jean stalked over to the pit, curious to see if the tiger was even awake. For some reason, the area was completely empty, which probably meant that the tiger was either asleep or the exhibit just lacked the actual animal. Eren absentmindedly kicked the leg of a nearby bench and sighed in defeat, watching as his lover picked up a stray wrapper and threw it away.

"Well, where do you think he is?" the brunette asked.

Levi merely shrugged and called over to Jean, "Oi, Kirstein, let's go. He's not here,"

Across from them, Jean was standing at the fencing, slightly leaning forward and watching the tiger with widened eyes. Eren disapproved of this greatly; he was acting as if he's never seen one before. Maybe he didn't see the animal in real life until then, but even so, acting so astonished wasn't really necessary. He stepped over to Jean's side and slapped a playful hand on his back, which didn't earn him any response whatsoever. While Eren leaned back against the fence, Levi walked over to the pit and scanned the area for only very mild interest in the animal. In a matter of seconds, his face warped from a blank expression to a look of both confusion and fear.

"What's wrong with you two?" Eren peered over his shoulder into the exhibit and started, "It's just a -"

He abruptly stopped middle of his sentence with a shaky gasp. Of course, the tiger wasn't something to be astonished about... but what it was currently doing certainly wasn't a sight they would forget. The animal's beautiful orange and black coat was speckled with scarlet around the shoulders, eventually reaching a solid shade of crimson as it progressed further down its forearms. The white fur around its bared claws were tainted with what was most likely blood (due to the scent of copper, which surprisingly reached their nostrils from that height), every curve and crease caked with torn skin and muscle. The fur around its mouth and nose was drenched in blood, its head lightly bobbing as it tried to bite down further into its victim. But... the actual body -

"... Marco?" Jean shakily gasped, his knuckles whited with how tightly he was gripping the fence.

The tiger's long tail flicked left and right as it looked up from its lunch, a few bits of messily ripped flesh dropping from the corners of its mouth. Its bared teeth were covered in blood and what horribly looked like flesh, its pink tongue darting out to lick the warm liquid off its fur. Trapped between the animal's protective forearms was an actual body; that person's face was hardly visible due to the amount of skin that was carelessly torn apart, but what confirmed his identity was the freckles on the left half of his face, usually neat brown hair, and a half-lidded eye that was normally filled with joy. Half of Marco's face was completely mutilated, the red muscle destroyed and ripped from where it belonged, while the other half was left untouched. Further down Marco's body was also drenched in blood, his right arm missing and his abdomen (on the same side) torn off and revealing the organs that were on the verge of falling out.

A few feet away from the tiger was a hand, along with a few cracked bones that had bits of flesh loosely clinging on by the connective tissue. A messy trail of blood started near the wall where they stood, branching off towards the center of the pit and stopping at their exact location. Signs of struggle were evident; on the arm that was still attached to the body was covered with jagged lacerations, and just barely visible from underneath the beast were his legs that, too, were extremely severed. The tiger merely growled at the sight of the three and dipped its head back down to sink its teeth into Marco, the disgusting sound of flesh being ripped apart and bones being shattered ringing abnormally in their ears. Eren regained a small portion of his senses and took a step back, completely unwilling to watch any further, or else he'd risk the chance of breaking down. Trusting himself to walk, he took another step back in an attempt to distance himself away from the barbarous sight, but his legs shook dangerously before giving out. As he sunk down into his knees, his felt his heart pound frantically against his ribcage, his eyes wide with fear. On the brink of tears, he stared up at Jean, who was still watching, breathing very heavily as if trying to mentally cope with the situation.

Eren flinched as he felt strong arms wrap around his neck, a warm body draping over him in a very comforting manner. He hesitantly looked up in question, a painful lump bobbing in his throat, and jade-green reunited with silver-gray. Levi pressed a kiss to his temple, and it took Eren a moment to realize that Levi was wearing the lion ears from earlier. It didn't seem to bother him at all.

"Pets are supposed to comfort their owners, right?" Levi said with a grim voice, tightening his hold around his lover as if trying to make a point.

Eren's shoulders shook violently as he broke down into tears, burying his face into Levi's chest and strongly clinging to him. Levi whispered a few reassuring words as he soothingly massaged Eren's back, looking up at Jean to see if he was all right. Jean had already torn away from the scene, but he wasn't crying, nor did he look fearful. His eyes were completely dull and clouded, the usually bright amber color now darkened to what could have been a dark brown tint. Jean looked completely lifeless, as if losing Marco was actually losing a part of his soul. After a few seconds of eye contact with Levi, Jean looked away and squeezed his eyes shut, not trusting himself to keep his self-control. Just another glimpse of Marco's mutilated body could make him scream in agony and cry for his childhood friend back, but he forced that strong urge away. Hearing Eren's ragged sobs didn't make the situation any better.

He opened his eyes when he heard Levi say with a soft voice, "I won't judge you for crying, you know,"

At those words, Jean finally broke into pieces.


	18. Process

**Note:** Do you guys know how much I love flashbacks? And how much I love leaving questions for all of you to try to answer? *manic laughter in the distance*

_Thank you all for the reviews. I swear I'm going to cry, I'm so happy~_

**Disclaimer:** The TV show used here is Steve Wilkos. They're all crazy bitches.

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_**Chapter Eighteen: Process**_

The first week out of school was hell, and the second week was no different. Since this death was outside of school, the police were involved, and thus, the newspaper managed to scrape up a story that's actually worth reading. Erwin silently praised the Lord that Marco's death wasn't linked back to the school at all, because if he had to be completely honest, he enjoyed being the vice-principle, even if he knew that he'd end up leaving to become a principle sooner or later. This was the first time Eren has seen Erwin outside of his cheerful and understanding nature, and it was also the very first time he's seen Levi beyond stressed. Pixis, of course, was drunk, and that entire vacation, no one has seen or heard from Jean. Armin was the only one that has contacted Jean, and according to him, the taller male wasn't taking his childhood friend's death so well. He was just a hallow and faceless figure now. That day, the school returned a few hours early; Mikasa, of course, bombarded Eren with questions and gave Levi a dangerous glare while Armin tried to comfort Jean. The rest of their classmates were considered lucky by Eren – as much as he hates them, he's actually glad they didn't witness a tiger feasting on Marco's dead body.

Speaking of the tiger, apparently, it wasn't quite 'healthy' to begin with. After Eren calmed down from his small break down, Levi explained the details he got out of Erwin. The tiger was indeed a female, and it was also a few months pregnant with twins, but despite its pregnancy, it still managed to catch a disease that made it quite 'fearless' and 'aggressive' towards humans (or anything that its put together with, for that matter). Two days later, the animal was put down with the use of a lethal injection. How Marco managed to fall into the pit was still a mystery, because for some reason, the cameras set around the zoo for security purposes were disabled around the area. No one saw who Marco left with, and when the security cameras finally started to function, video footage of the previous two hours were deleted. It couldn't have been one of their classmates, because frankly, a teenager wouldn't be capable of causing such damage (both to Marco and to the cameras). Thankfully, fingers weren't pointed towards Eren this time, and Levi overheard a small group of zookeepers managing their funds so they could get higher fencing.

Dealing with Eren the next week was the only problem Levi had. Sure, he may be a highly romantic person at times, but comforting Eren was something on a whole new level. Levi never comforted anyone before without accidentally (and most likely unintentionally) insulting the other person first. Eren's suspicion started to boil again because of two very serious things; one, his lover spent a good ten minutes fiercely arguing with Erwin before being dragged off for questioning with Jean, leaving him to wonder why he wasn't taken with them; and two, Levi's reaction towards Marco's death was almost idle. Besides his slightly fearful expression when Marco was first found, his unimpressed mask has never changed, and if Eren had to guess, the raven trained himself to keep his emotions from showing themselves through his silver-gray eyes. After hours upon hours pondering over the situation with puffy eyes, Eren came to the conclusion that Levi's reaction is definitely going to be close to zero if he experienced things worse than that. Did the military scar him so badly, to the point where watching a classmate's mutilated body being eaten by an animal is child's play? No, the military only ever teaches you how to kill... things shouldn't be so gruesome, not towards each other. But... if Levi has killed before, then does that mean that his murders were much more gruesome than all of the deaths that have occurred this past year?

Wait, did he seriously just consider Levi being a _murderer_?

What if he was? That would explain his mild expression towards bloodshed and gore, and it would also explain his unique ability to fight. Eren mentally smacked himself; why the hell is he even thinking those things about his lover? It's Levi. He'd never do that... would he? Just as Eren started to force his mind to think about something else, his already careless posture softened even further, which earned him a disapproving cluck of the tongue. It took him a moment to realize that Levi was watching him with a reproachful look, clearly irritated that Eren's participation in their small training sessions was close to none.

"W- What?" Eren asked, sinking a bit further back into his shadow at the sight of his lover's stern glare.

Levi rolled his eyes and folded his arms over his chest. "You've been slacking off this entire vacation. I can't even get you to make a decent fighting stance, let alone block a punch to save your own life. I think we should just call it a day and try again some other time,"

"No!" Eren hastily pleaded, "I just have a lot on my mind! I'll start paying attention, I swear!"

"Are you sure?" Levi unfolded his arms and sighed, "I know you're stressed, and so am I. We've been everywhere but home these past two weeks, and maybe we just need a break from unnecessary things to pull our shit back together. There's always going to be a tomorrow,"

"... But there wasn't a tomorrow for Marco..." Eren muttered.

"So that's what it's about?" Levi hesitated for a moment and asked, "Kirstein didn't look really – er, _healthy – _when we got back, did he?"

"He didn't take Marco's death so well. The vacation's been his own personal hell,"

"How do you know?"

The brunette shifted from one foot to the other when he answered, "Armin told me about it a few days ago. As much as I hate Jean, I still feel bad for him. I guess he wasn't strong enough to pay that ransom, huh? I mean, he lost his childhood friend. I know I'd be pretty shaken up if Armin died like that,"

Levi's eye twitched with minor disapproval at that last sentence, but Eren failed to notice. He looked away and growled, "There's a lot going on right now. Let's just take a break,"

Eren stubbornly shook his head. "Just one more time! Please?"

That was one way to lighten up the atmosphere, even if it was just a bit. A small grin formed on the raven's lips as he took a step back and raised his fists in a defensive stance. "Then we can go and enjoy life?"

"Yeah," he responded, taking the same stance as Levi did (but his was a bit more loose and comfortable).

Eren was the first to move. Although he was a bit rusty for slacking off, he still had some sort of knowledge of what to do in these situations. Over the past few training sessions they've had, he's learned that sometimes, making the first move was a mistake. There were numerous occasions where Levi easily evaded his lover's attack, and he'd even trip Eren for the hell of it. He convinced himself that this time would be different. Levi's expression never changed, and when Eren swung a fist at him, he easily stepped to the side. The momentum actually made the brunette pass Levi (his agility wasn't good to the point where his speed could easily switch from zero to one hundred in a matter of seconds like Levi could), but even so, he took that extra moment to attack. From behind the raven, he used his right leg to support himself, and he delivered a swift kick with his left. This actually took Levi by surprise; he saw the movement in the corner of his eye but failed to react quick enough to evade the attack. Eren's heel came into painful contact with Levi's right kneecap, the sudden jabbing pain making him hiss and fall onto one knee. Eren's eyes widened when he saw this and immediately offered help.

"That's the first time you've ever done some real damage," Levi mused, the pain in his knee starting to edge away as he massaged the area. Looking up at Eren, he added with a smirk, "That means I can start playing rough now,"

His heart skipped a beat with fear at those words. "I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing,"

"Maybe both?" Levi suggested, tugging his shirt over his head as they exited the garage into the hallway (and to Eren's disappointment, his lover was wearing an undershirt).

After seven months of being in a relationship, Eren finally grew comfortable in the raven's home, to the point where he'd act the way he usually would whenever he was visiting Armin after school. There were a few things he wouldn't do in Levi's house, because, hell, they've only known each other for about nine months, and he's been Armin's closest friend for years. They both flopped down on the couch right next to each other, and as Eren reached over to his bag that was sitting at the edge of the couch, Levi turned on the television with a small sigh of fatigue. While the raven flipped through the channels with very mild interest, Eren pulled out the laptop he received on Christmas and started it up. For some reason, Levi enjoyed watching Eren type away on his laptop, and what was more was the fact that Eren actually put forth some effort in keeping the damned bit of technology in an almost perfect condition. As the brunette signed into his account, Levi stopped at a certain channel and took interest in whatever the hell was airing at that moment. Various women were seen arguing viciously, to the point where they'd start a fight (or rather, they'd start flailing and pulling hair). When he muttered something about them being crazy bitches, Eren momentarily looked up from the screen with an amused grin.

After a good minute or two of their arguing, the brunette stated, "I didn't think you enjoyed these types of shows. I bet you twenty bucks he's the father,"

"There's nothing better to watch," Levi leaned back against the armrest of the couch and continued, "I'll add an extra twenty to that, by the way,"

"So forty says he's the father," Eren confirmed with a nod, turning his attention back to the laptop (but still keeping an ear out for the results).

"You'll owe me forty dollars if he's lying,"

Eren scowled and dismissively waved a hand, which only made his lover smirk. "Don't worry, I'll pay you back when I'm rich,"

"I'll be waiting a long ass time, then,"

After a few more minutes of Levi watching while cleaning his nails and Eren idly typing as he listened to what was going on, the results finally came in. It certainly pissed Levi off.

"… _You _are_ the father!_"

"That bald fuck isn't serious!" he growled angrily while the brunette hissed out a relieved 'yes'.

"Cough it up," Eren laughed, turning his attention back towards his laptop screen as Levi disappeared off into the hallway.

The 'Attack on Titan' file almost instantly opened when he double clicked, and after typing in his password for access, he quickly scanned through the chapter he was currently working on. While he scrolled through the very many pages, he saw a rather familiar name flicker, which made him abruptly stop in his tracks. Slowly moving back upwards, he remembered; he killed off Marco in the last chapter. Sure enough, when he stopped at a certain page, he came across a paragraph describing Marco's mutilated body. He was bitten in half from the right shoulder down – he let out a shaky sigh when he remembered the horrible sight from Marco's actual death. He never thought tigers could do such barbarous things, especially towards humans, with or without a virus. After a couple of hesitant seconds, he deleted a few sentences describing the body and rearranged them; now, instead of Marco's body being bitten in half completely, he was only missing an arm and half of his face. Eren let out a small hum of approval as he read over the paragraph, but he instantly looked away and slapped himself (physically this time). Just what the hell was he thinking?

Keeping his palm resting against his cheek, his eyes sped through the paragraph one more time, and only one thought came up; Marco died in real life right after he wrote it in his novel. That was a very frightening coincidence. His eyelids reluctantly slid shut as he removed his hand from his face and moved it to his right temple instead. Soothing himself by massaging his temple in small circular motions, he thought back on his friend's death. In the background, there was a commercial advertising the zoo that their school visited two weeks ago, which momentarily made his heart stop. But even so, he went back to typing and added a bit more details on Marco's corpse, and hell, he event went back and changed Jean's reaction to be a bit less... _vivid_. It's almost as if he predicted Jean's reaction to first be idle, then to break down completely, and that was just exactly what he did. He probably knows that horse-faced bastard more than he'd like to, and that thought made him cringe.

Footsteps were heard behind him as he pinched the bridge of his nose and breathed, "What the hell is wrong with me?"

Levi failed to hear this as he threw two twenty dollar bills at his lover over the back of the couch and grumbled, "Fucking Steve,"

His lover idly folded the two bills in half and slid them into his pocket. Levi took his seat at the opposite side of the couch and played with the remote in his hands, listening as Eren typed away on his laptop. During a commercial advertising cleaning supplies (which Levi took an interest in), Eren's typing came to an abrupt stop and failed to continue. It took him a long moment to notice this, so out of curiosity, his silver-gray eyes wandered over to Eren to investigate. The furrow in his brow deepened when he saw that Eren was merely staring at the screen, his green eyes oddly drained of its bright color and lined with a trace of tears.

"Hunter?"

The brunette's eyes momentarily flicked towards his direction before he blinked the incoming tears away and cleared his throat. "Yeah?"

Levi set the remote down and leaned towards Eren, asking with a concerned tone in his voice, "Are you all right?"

"I'm okay," he mumbled, his fingers going back to darting over the keyboard. "Don't worry so much,"

There was a sudden movement in the corner of his eye, and the next thing he knew, Levi whisked his hands away and closed the laptop, easing it to the side with one hand while the other firmly gripped his shoulder. Eren whined in protest and tried to push Levi away, only to get pinned to the back of the couch by the shoulders.

"I know you're not," Levi said, his tone struggling to be kept between 'comforting' and 'frustrated'.

"I am!" Eren snapped viciously, trying his hardest to avoid his lover's glare.

This took Levi by surprise, but he snapped right back (though not as viciously); "Look me in the eye and tell me you're all right,"

"I _am!_"

"- You're not,"

"I'm okay, Levi, I seriously am!"

"- No, you're -"

Eren cut him off by glaring at him straight in the eye, flaring angrily, "- Quit acting so fucking nosy!"

"I'm not being nosy," the raven growled dangerously, his grip on Eren's shoulders strengthening significantly. "I'm trying to find out what the hell is wrong with my boyfriend, not to find gossip material,"

His lover tried to break free from his hold, stubbornly muttering, "It doesn't concern you,"

"What doesn't concern me? The fact that you're acting brattier that usual today and I want to know why so I could try to fix it?"

"Oh, so I'm just a brat to you!" Eren practically screeched, the tears in his eyes now starting to resurface. Despite Levi glaring at him, he continued to struggle, forcing words through his complete anger and frustration. "That's all I ever am, huh? A shitty brat! Whatever the hell is going on in my life doesn't concern you, and it _never _will!"

Levi's voice didn't rise in any level like the brunette's did, but he still snapped just as angrily, "You wonder why I call you a brat when you're fucking acting like one. Quit being shady. I want to _help _you,"

"_I'm_ being shady?! You're the one that's been keeping things from me this entire time! What else am I going to find out, that you're a piece of shit murderer?!"

"- What if I am murderer, you filthy brat? What're you going to do, make sure I have the worst death in your story? Oh, that's _scary._ Or you'll do it real life, just like you did to your mother?"

Eren finally wrenched Levi's hands away from his shoulders, placing his hands on the raven's own and shoving him away with all of the strength he could muster up at that moment. "Fuck you, Levi! -" _(Levi was thrown backwards off the couch, hitting the back of his head on the sharp edge of the coffee table with a pained hiss)_ "- All you are is a shady son of a bitch! I wonder why the hell we _ever _got together!"

After a few moments of living through his blinding white rage, he snapped out of it and stood up from the couch, his nails digging into the palms of his fists. They merely glared at each other, but Eren finally caught himself; just why the hell did he have to ruin something so perfect? His posture slackened as frustrated tears built up in the corners of his eyes, threatening to fall at any moment. He actually managed to hurt Levi. _Physically_. The sight of his lover struggling to sit up correctly with a hand pressed against the back of his head to ease the pain completely broke him.

"L- Levi, I -"_ (He gasped shakily as his tears broke from their restraints, falling to his knees and angrily taking his own hair into his fists)_ "- I'm sorry. I'm s- so sorry. What t- the fuck is wrong with me?"

"Eren -"

"- I just had to fuck up the only thing that's actually good in my life!" Eren viciously pulled on his hair despite the throbbing pain, talking between ragged breaths, "Everyone's d- dying in the worst ways possible, and I'm h- here taking out my frustrations on you! I sh- should just end it now so no one else dies _because _of me!"

"Eren -"

"- Why are people even dying?! I don't even understand them! They look like accidents, but I just know they're not! But how do I even know that?! It doesn't make any sense! I've always been a -"

His head was forced to tilt upward and the end of his sentence was muffled as soft lips were pressed against his. Seeing a faint smear of blood on the hand Levi previously covered his wound with made him break away from the kiss and sharp intake of breath. Despite him doing this, Levi gently gripped his lover's fist and gave a comforting squeeze. This made Eren slightly loosen his fist, but he didn't let go of the painful hold he had on his hair until Levi pressed a sweet, open-mouthed kiss to eyelid.

"I'm s- sorry..." Eren shakily muttered.

When he looked up and met Levi's soft gaze, he let out a sob and threw himself at his lover in a tight embrace. He buried his face in Levi's chest, a very reassuring feeling washing over him when Levi wrapped his arms around him. The raven took this moment to soothingly run his fingers through Eren's hair, evening out the soft locks and furrowing his brow at the sight of damaged strands clinging to his skin. Did Eren really pull hard enough to damage his hair? That couldn't be possible... right? He pulled back a bit to brush Eren's bangs out of his eyes, and when silver reunited with jade, Eren guiltily looked away, his hold loosening while Levi's tightened.

"... I shouldn't take out my frustration on you like that..."

Levi merely shook his head. "It's not good to bottle up your emotions. It all ends up bursting in the end. Trust me, kid, I know. It's okay to get that crap out of the way. I'm also sorry for being so 'shady' towards you, but you already know that my mother is really half-blind _and_ my real age, and I want you to know that I trust you. "

The tears spilling from the brunette's eyes simply refused to stop. He cleared his throat and asked with a very depressed voice, "What you said about my mom... you didn't mean it... did you...?"

Levi pressed their foreheads together and breathed, "I'm a dumbass for doing that to you. No, I didn't mean it. I don't even know what happened to your mother. It was just the heat of the argument that got to me. I'm sorry,"

Eren looked back at him through large eyes. "... You still love me, right? Even after doing all that?"

"Why wouldn't I l-" the raven hesitated for a moment and tried again, "Why wouldn't I like you?"

"Having trouble with your L's?" Eren laughed harshly, sinking away from the embrace while Levi refused to let him go.

"Listen... Eren," he sighed heavily and said, "The last time I said I... '_I love you'_ to another person, they left me. For good. I've never said it to anyone else, not even to my own mother. I guess I just don't want to go through that again, and if saying one shitty sentiment takes away what belongs to me, then I just won't say it at all,"

The small pause after that signaled him to continue, "Eren, if I love you, I'll show you, not tell you,"

"I belong to you, huh?" Eren's tear-filled eyes brightened a bit when he met Levi's concerned look. "I don't know why, but the sudden possessiveness comforts me,"

Levi planted a soft kiss to his lover's forehead and said, "I'm not letting anyone hurt you,"

"... That's the same thing Mikasa said when Mom died..." Eren muttered, allowing Levi to groom his hair without a complaint. "... She wasn't the same as every other kid. I think losing her biological parents _and_ her adoptive mother traumatized her. I don't even know if she has any family left. No one in this city is familiar with the name 'Ackerman'..."

He felt his lover tense at the mention of Mikasa's last name, but even so, he asked with a soothing voice, "You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but... how did your mother die?"

.

.

_Eren rubbed his tired eyes as he walked down the hallway, idly stumbling over his own two feet every now and then from drowsiness. He didn't know what time it was, but Mikasa was actually asleep and the pinkish color of dawn has yet to be seen. His large green eyes took some time to adjust to the lighting, and when he came to a familiar stop in the hallway, he opened the door to the restroom with a yawn. The tiled floor was very cold, and the sudden contact it made with his bare feet made him shiver. As soon as he turned the light on, his vision was bleached white and he flinched. With a small growl, he kicked the door shut and tried to deal with the throbbing pain in his eyes, but eventually, it subsided. He stared at his reflection through one eye while the rubbed the other, scanning his extremely messy hair with a skeptical look. He stayed like that for a moment, wanting so badly to return to bed and sleep, but the need to relieve himself was annoying. He should have used the restroom before he went to bed._

_ Right when he was about to lift the toilet seat up, he heard a muffled noise in the distance. Out of curiosity, he retracted his hand and strained his ears to hear more; was he just imagining things? No, he heard it again – it sounded like footsteps, if he heard correctly. It must have been Mikasa looking for him again. During the past few weeks, she's woken up in the middle of the night and panicked when she saw that Eren was gone, only to find out that he was using the restroom. Her night terrors weren't very 'vivid'... she didn't wake up screaming and crying like most would. Mikasa was a very quiet child... but according to Grisha, she was very loud and outgoing when she was younger. The death of her parents must have affected her greatly. He sighed and went back to his business, only to stop when he heard a dull thud. It was either Mikasa tripped or something foreign was in their house. Grisha wasn't home; he may seem like a bad father for doing this, but yes, he would sometimes stay the night at the hospital 'looking after patients', leaving them home alone. He always told them that, but it was happening more than usual lately._

_ Eren's mother has been missing for a week. Grisha told his son that Carla went to visit their family in Germany, which he completely believed. This wouldn't be the only time his mother went to go visit family, but they were usually given a warning one month prior. Maybe Grisha returned from the hospital early this time? No, he didn't even hear the car roll up on the driveway. Soft footsteps were heard coming near the restroom, and to his greatest fear, he saw the doorknob quiver – the sign that someone took a grip of it from the outside. With a small gasp, the door creaked open a bit, only to reveal a single gray eye._

_ A small whisper was heard; "... Eren, are you there?"_

_ Eren sighed with relief and pulled the door open, seeing his adoptive sister tuck her nose into her scarf with embarrassment. "Yeah, I am. Did I wake you up or something?"_

_ "No, you didn't..." Mikasa's dark gray eyes hardened when she said, "... I heard someone in the living room,"_

_ "Maybe dad's home!" he whispered excitedly, rushing past her to go greet their father._

_ His wrist was caught in a surprisingly strong hold and he was pulled back into the restroom. Mikasa pushed him back against the wall and clapped a hand over his mouth, flipping the light switch off and ignoring his muffled complaints. This was very odd; she was acting a lot more protective that usual._

_ Eren pulled her hand away and started, "Mikasa, why -"_

_ She glued the palm of her hand to his mouth with a harsh shove, whispering hastily, "I think I heard something,"_

_ Sure enough, there were dull footsteps heard in the hallway. Eren's heart raced in his chest, instantly giving up on trying to resist Mikasa and allowing her to take complete control. She sensed this and removed her hand from his mouth, but that didn't stop her from keeping a defensive hold on his shoulder. More footsteps were heard; there were more than one person there. If Eren had to guess, there were two or three._

_ A harsh voice was heard through the door; "Wo sind die Gören?"_

_ Another voice, though this one barely audible, answered, "They're asleep. Sie sind jetzt schlafen,"_

_ "Was ist mit Grisha? Haben Sie ihn gefunden?"_

_ "- He's not here,"_

_ "Good thing he took my advice. Das war eine kluge Sache zu tun,"_

_ There was a third voice, one a bit louder than the second but softer than the first; "Let's go already, you're not here to talk with my son. Also, I think that bitch is going to die bleeding before sunrise. She won't respond to me anymore. Nous pourrions aussi bien la mettre hors de sa misère maintenant,"_

_ The second voice muttered, "Vous êtes tous les deux étant trop fort. Je ne serai pas surpris si vous les gars se sont réveillés les enfants,"_

_ A sigh was heard through the door before the first grumbled, "This is the last time I trust you two with something important. Wir verlassen,"_

_ With that, the three of them left, the shuffling sounds of footsteps only being heard for a few seconds before completely disappearing. Eren heard Mikasa shift a little before her hold on his shoulder loosened. She flipped the light switch back on, and Eren saw that she wore a mixed look on her face, one that was very different from the stoic facade she's kept up that entire time; it was a look of confusion, denial, and doubt. As soon as her dark eyes met Eren's, she put her emotionless mask back on and opened the door, cautiously stepping outside to see if they were still there. This was useless, though; her eyes were hardly adjusted to how dark it was. Even if it was pitch black, she assumed it was safe to leave when she strained her ears and heard nothing._

_ "What were they saying?" the brunette asked. "They said something about Dad, didn't they?"_

_ Mikasa shrugged and held onto her scarf, shielding her face from Eren. "I don't know,"_

_ "Do you think we should go check the living room?"_

_ She pushed the door all the way open and said, "That might not be a good idea... let's wait until Dad comes home..."_

_ Eren crossed his arms and pouted, "Why, though? What if they stole something?!"_

_ "... But they..." Mikasa gave into his pout and muttered, "... Let's go check,"_

_ Eren lead the way to the living room and turned on the lights in the kitchen, seeing nothing but the curtains sway as the cool summer breeze flowed by. While he scanned the surroundings, Mikasa quietly stalked into the living room, but as she rubbed her tired eyes, she saw a sight she thought she'd never have to see again; the sight of more of her family dying._

_ "... Mikasa? Is that you? … Wheres Eren...?"_

_ The sound of his mother's voice made Eren gasp and rush to the living room to greet her, only to abruptly stop in his tracks at the foot of the fireplace. Mikasa slowly inched backwards while Eren processed the scene in his head – it's terrible that he, a semi-innocent nine-year-old, should experience his mother's incoming death in such a crude way. Carla's hair was severely matted and the casual dress she always wore was covered in neat stitches, but the only part that wasn't stitched was the jagged tear down the middle, revealing the purple bruises and streaks of scabbed lacerations across her abdomen. She was slightly curled to the side with one dull green eye staring up at him while its twin ceased to be identified. Her left eye socket was fully bared, the flesh around it torn and barely clinging on with weak strands of tissue, a crimson trail of her warm blood flowing from the open wound. Despite how abused her front seemed to be, he noticed that she was missing her underwear, with streaks of crusted white seen progressing down her thighs. What made him cringe was the sight of her legs – they seemed to be tied together by some type of rope starting from just under the knee and stopping above the ankles, but it wasn't as thick as a rope or as thin as a ribbon would be._

_ There were disgusting kinks going around legs that looked as if there was something hiding just under the skin layer, only to reveal the white (yet bloodstained) material jutting out from a hole in the flesh. The bumps in her legs turned out to be the material being carelessly weaved through the skin layer, only to be brought around the limb and find its way out of another crudely made hole. There seemed to be two strips of 'rope' in both legs, one strip crossing over the second to create an 'X' and disappear back into the opposite leg, appearing just a few inches below that to repeat the process. The two strips of material reunited once more just above her ankles (which were bent in rather odd positions) to create a neatly tied bow. The bow itself was delicately made, not rough and careless like the rest of her body had been treated, with only bits of blood speckled over the ears. Did the person really think that doing that to her was 'funny'? There were also neatly-made stitches ranging across her legs where the skin had been cut, keeping the halves together and [hopefully] steady. Tears welled up in Eren's eyes from fear, but instead of running away and seeking his adoptive sister for reassurance, he knelt down by his mother's side, desperately wracking his imagination for a solution._

_ Carla's untainted eye showed a very obvious trace of tears as she demanded, "Eren, call your father,"_

_ "B- But Dad isn't home," Eren replied shakily, the fact that his mother's demand was much weaker than it should have been making his heart thud painfully against his chest. "He's taking care of people..."_

_ "Call him anyways," tears poured out of her one eye as she quietly added, "I want to talk to him before -"_

_ "- You're not dying!" Eren cut in, his voice a slightly higher pitch due to his oncoming break down. "Dad won't answer me, anyways! He never does! I can help you, I can -"_

_ Carla interrupted him with a sob, "- Just call your father!"_

_ "- But Mom -"_

_ "- I'm not playing around with you, Eren! Why can't you listen to me, just this last time?!"_

_ "Mikasa and I c- can take care of you!"_

_ He reached over to grab her arm, only to retract his hand as if it had been burned. The sleeves to her dress were torn just a few inches below her shoulders, revealing her skinless arms. The red, bloodied muscle that was hidden underneath the skin was completely visible, only to see that her elbows were bent behind her back. The way her forearms were pushed together would have actually been comfortable, if it wasn't for the way the white material was tied around them. Just like her legs, her forearms were tied together by strips of fabric, but since there was no skin layer to hide under, it was weaved through the muscle. Her hands were messily streaking with ripped skin, and there were bits of pink flesh dangling from her fingertips... where the fingernails used to be. The way the muscles on her forearms jutted out uncomfortably made him want to gag, and just knowing that made him realize that she reeked the smell of copper and sweat. He shifted away from her a bit, the tears that were gathered at the corners of his eyes breaking out of their restraints._

_ "Eren, please -" she retched and couched up a mouthful of blood, clearing her throat before weakly repeating herself, "- call your father..."_

_ "But -" Eren sniffled and shakily called for his sister, "Mikasa, g- get the phone!"_

_ Mikasa, who was a few feet behind him, hesitated for a moment before disappearing into the kitchen to retrieve the house phone. As soon as she left, Eren turned his attention back to his mother, who was already starting to lose consciousness. A miniscule pool of blood formed next to her cheek where the liquid poured from the corner of her mouth, her usually bright green eyes clouded over to create a dull color._

_ "Mom -" (he nudged her shoulder and only gained a small twitch as a response) "- Mom, please... Answer me... Mom...?"_

_ She took one final breath and muttered, "... Do me a favor... and tell Dad I have a letter for him... in my pocket, okay?"_

_ "But... But Mom... you're going to be okay... we'll... take care of you..."_

_ That was the first time he ever faced such a grim defeat._

_._

_._

When Eren finished his story, he wiped the lingering tears and looked up at his lover, only to see that his face looked ashen and his eyes were sunken. "Levi, are you okay?"

It took him a moment to process this before he idly replied, "... Yeah. I'm sorry about your mother, by the way... I didn't know that something as bad as _that_ happened to her,"

"It's nothing to worry about," Eren weaved his fingers through Levi's and gave his hand a small squeeze, adding, "But that was years ago. I turned out all right after a couple of months and Mikasa never changed,"

"You said she had a letter in her pocket, right?" Levi gave him a curious look and asked, "Do you still have it?"

"I... I guess," the brunette pondered for a moment and continued, "... I found it in my Freshman year, I think, in Dad's room. He has a few human anatomy books, and it kind of slipped out when I knocked a few over. I don't know if he still has it, though, and it was written in German. I can't read German, but a translator's always good,"

"But they're not a hundred percent accurate," Levi bit his lip and offered, "I could translate it for you. I just need a picture,"

"Why do you seem so eager?"

The raven sighed, "Because judging by what you told me, that letter could link you to a few answers about your father that you've been looking for,"

Eren narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but he instantly gave up with a weary mutter, "I'll send you a picture if I do find it,"

"All right,"

**o0o0o0o**

"God damn it, why isn't he answering me?"

Armin sighed and flipped through his phone, impatiently pressing the 'call' button when he reached Jean's name. Normally, he'd give up after two missed calls, but he was worried about his friend; they dropped out of contact the week before, with Armin calling him nonstop to make sure he was okay. He only answered a few, but in all those calls (that lasted at most thirty seconds), he sounded extremely tired, his voice slurred or sometimes barely audible. Armin's cat was sprawled out on his lap, a very pleased purr rumbling from its chest as he played with its fur. Ryuzaki's tail would ocassionally flick this way and that, his paw resting on Armin's clothed thighs to clutch and pull at the fabric while the other was tucked comfortably at his chest. Armin growled when he was led to Jean's voice message box and hung up the phone, abruptly pulling away from Ryuzaki's soft fur to send a text. The cat disapproved of this greatly and curled up into a ball, making itself comfortable on his owner's lap. As soon as Armin sent the text, he read over it once more with a small nod.

It was very simple; _'I'm coming over.'_

Armin nudged Ryuzaki as a signal for him to get off, but the animal simply refused to move. Instead, it ignored him completely and nudged further into his lap.

"Come on, Ryuzaki, get off," Armin muttered, giving him another gentle shove. Once he saw that the cat wasn't going to budge, he stated plainly, "Lawliet,"

Ryuzaki's ears flickered as he looked up at Armin, his large yellow eyes reproachful. But despite his disapproval, the animal uncurled and jumped off, taking a moment to stretch his back before stalking off to hide under his owner's bed. Armin sighed and brushed off a few stray hairs from his thighs before standing up from his seat and turning off the computer monitor. He reached into his desk and searched for his car keys, hoping that he didn't accidentally lock it in the car again, but thankfully, he found them. Not caring to push his seat in, he hastily left the room, leaving his door open in case Ryuzaki wanted to explore the rest of the house.

**o0o0o0o**

Jean's home was completely unscathed and looked fairly normal, which comforted Armin greatly. After he parked his car outside of his friend's home, he gave his phone a hopeful look, only to see that he didn't get a text back. Well, at least he knew that Jean didn't accidentally burn the house down, and it still had occupants, for there was a faint glow of light through the silky curtains. With a sharp intake of breath, he hesitantly knocked on the front door, only to see that it was already open. Someone must have carelessly kicked the door shut when they returned home, but it didn't successfully closed. Armin bit his lip and pushed, wincing at the loud creak. Whispering a small 'excuse me', he stepped into the home and scrunched his nose uncomfortably; the ashen scent of cigarette smoke was heavy in the air, and so was the smell of alcohol. He knew Jean's parents weren't home – they left a week before school ended to go visit family out of town, completely trusting their son with not blowing up the house while they're gone.

Armin closed the door behind him and skulked into the living room, weakly calling out, "Jean, are you home?"

He gained no response.

"Er – Jean? Hello? Are -"

His sentence was interrupted as he took a sharp intake of breath, but the rancid smell in the air instantly made him regret doing so. Sprawled out on the couch was none other than Jean, who had a burned out cigarette in one hand while the other hung off the edge of the couch, leading to a small pile of empty beer bottles. Armin didn't support underage drinking in the slightest, nor did he support smoking, but now wasn't the time to scold his friend on those topics. Jean's amber eyes were clouded over with fatigue and intoxicated bliss, but as soon as Armin came into his sight, his eyes sparked with life he didn't know he still had left. He sat up on the couch with minor difficulty, carelessly throwing the cigarette aside.

Jean's voice was very slurred, but still comprehensible; "Armin? What do you want?"

"What the hell...?" Armin took a small step forward and flared, "This is what you've been doing the past week?! Ignoring my calls for this! Don't you understand the risks of poisoning from underage drinking, you stupid jerk?!"

While he ranted on the risks of underage drinking and such, Jean groaned with discomfort, slowly getting up from the couch. Everything to him was falling in and out of focus, to the point where Armin's words were being blocked out of his ears because he was trying a little too hard to process the situation. He idly stumbled forward and gripped Armin's shoulders for support, who had already gave up ranting and adopted a more comforting nature (for the time being). After a few moments, Armin found himself being pulled into a close embrace, which made him blush intensely.

The blonde sighed, "Why didn't you just tell me something earlier?"

Taking a moment to process this, Jean replied with a small mutter, "I think I did,"

The smell of alcohol was evident in his breath. Armin started to notice that their embrace wasn't as 'loving' as it should have been. At this point, Jean was practically clinging to him as if his life depended on it. Jean was warmer than usual; at first, Armin thought it was because he just woke up from a nap, but his cheeks were flushed scarlet. He wasn't sure if his friend was just sick or something entirely different. Armin had a very bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, so on instinct, he tried to break away from the taller male, who's hold ceased to falter.

His voice sounded a bit panicked; "Er – Jean, let go of me already. Please,"

To his greatest fear, when Jean pulled back a bit, his eyes seemed to be glazed over (by being intoxicated, no doubt). But besides that, there was something in his eyes that didn't seem too 'friendly'. Armin continued to struggle in Jean's grip, until eventually, he managed to take a few steps back and met with the couch. The backs of his knees hit the cushions and folded, making him fall backwards, dragging Jean with him. No, this wasn't good at all – the taller male nudged between his legs and pinned his wrists over his head against the armrest. Armin wasn't too sure what he felt in this situation, and knowing that his hormonal, teenage self has imaged something like this before made him curse himself beyond anything.

"I want you," Jean stated simply, yet his words were still a bit slurred.

"W- Wait, what?! No!" Armin squeaked frantically, trying to wriggle away from the hand that was unbuttoning his dress shirt. "No, no, no, no, no, no! _No!_ What the hell?! _Jean!_"

He successfully unbuttoned Armin's shirt and pulled the two halves apart, completely oblivious to the vivid protests. Armin's heart was beating frantically against his chest with mixed emotions, his face completely flushed at this point. He wracked his brain for answers, pleading to himself for some sort of last-minute plan to get out of the situation. Well, he might have learned something; maybe being intoxicated dragged out Jean's feelings towards the blonde, or he was merely looking to bring back some control over his life. When a thumb roughly ground against his nipple, his breathing hitched, and he relied completely on his instinct to save him. Well... he _does_ have a crush on Jean, so naturally, he'd try to find some sort of way to help him, but...

Well, fuck it. As some sort of last resort, Armin crashed his lips against Jean's in a hasty kiss, and to his surprise, Jean's movements came to an abrupt stop. Breaking away from the kiss, he said, "Jean, please. Stop -" _(he planted another kiss, but this one much sweeter than the last)_ "- You're better than this,"

The taller male pulled away with frustrated tears in his eyes. Yes, he did have control over his life, but what he didn't have control over were his own emotions. His head pounded painfully in protest against the alcohol in his system, and as some sort of way to comfort himself, he rest his head on Armin's bare chest.

Retracting his hand from his friend's wrists, he shakily muttered, "I'm so sorry,"

It even took Armin a moment to process what just happened. Without even giving it a second thought, he wrapped his arms around Jean, who was fighting back angry and frustrated tears. Jean accepted this and embraced the blonde tightly, the warm feeling of being held by another person comforting him greatly. He repeatedly muttered apologies under his breath while Armin idly ran his fingers through his hair in a reassuring manner.

"... I... er..." Armin bit his lip and said quietly, "I... I want you too, but... now isn't the right time or place for that. For anything, actually,"

"... Why the hell do you even bother?" Jean hissed bitterly, his words cold despite being held so lovingly. "I thought you said you hated smokers and alcoholics?"

"I do," he confirmed with a nod, adding shortly after, "That's why I'm here to help you with it. If I recall, you said you weren't too compatible with alcoholics, either,"

Armin thought that Jean merely gave up the argument, but he didn't truly understand his silence until he heard a small gag. Jean ripped away from the embrace and staggered into the kitchen, retching heavily before vomiting his life away into the sinks. Armin buttoned up his shirt and shivered, hugging himself tightly. He wasn't sure what emotion he was supposed to be feeling now, but despite all the things that happened way too quickly for comfort, he wondered what Eren's condition was. Hopefully not as bad as Jean's.

**o0o0o0o**

_(Three days later)_

Levi growled in disapproval as his phone buzzed loudly over his counter. Whoever the hell messaged him must have known he was a light sleeper and sent him something so late just to piss him off. Rubbing his tired eyes, he reached over his phone and opened the text, seeing that it was Eren who sent it to him. He should have known; it was one in the morning, and it was also vacation. Opening the message, he saw that there was a file attached to it, and without hesitation, he opened the image file and waited for it to load. It was a picture of a crumpled letter scattered with various stains and mild fray around the edges. There was a note written harshly in the middle, and when he read through it, his eyes widened.

It was a message written in German, stating simply; '_nicht gehorchen mich wieder und Eren ist neben.'_

* * *

**Extra Note:**

Pay attention to the Author's note in the beginning of the next chapter. I just wanted to get something across, but you don't have to if you really don't want to. Now to the translations.

Keep in mind I have the translations in order of language and when they're used. So no, these are not in order of how the conversation goes since it switches from German to French. To help you out, the 6th translation is at the very end. Kudos to Google translator *throws confetti*

Translations:

1. Wo sind die Gören? = Where are the brats?

2. Sie sind jetzt schlafen = They're sleeping now

3. Was ist mit Grisha? Haben Sie ihn gefunden? = What about Grisha? Have you found him?

4. Das war eine kluge Sache zu tun = That was a smart thing to do

5. Wir verlassen = We're leaving

6. nicht gehorchen mich wieder und Eren ist neben = disobey me again and Eren is next

These translations are from German to English. They're probably not that accurate.

1. Nous pourrions aussi bien la mettre hors de sa misère maintenant = Might as well put her out of her misery now

2. Vous êtes tous les deux étant trop fort. Je ne serai pas surpris si vous les gars se sont réveillés les enfants = You're both being too loud. I wouldn't be surprised if you guys woke up the kids

These translations are from French to English. They're probably not that accurate.


	19. Nightmare

**Note: **A little something I wanted to put out here, but you can skip if you really don't give a damn.

I'm glad we're starting Senior year already. I'll be honest, those last 18 chapters of Junior year had a lot of filler besides the deaths, Eren/Mikasa/Levi's past and the Riren. I needed to entertain my readers. But now that we're starting Senior year, I'm speeding things up; Levi's past will go over some touchy subjects and deaths may or may not be back-to-back. Thank you for staying with me for 18 chapters, but now I have to take things seriously. As always, the beginning of the year is slow.

TL;DR? This is where the fun really begins.

**Disclaimer:** Do you like listening to heavy metal? Because I want to teach you how to scream.

* * *

_**Chapter Nineteen: Nightmare**_

_(First day of August)_

_ (Morning; thirty-seven past three o'clock)_

_ It's been a long time since she's seen daylight. Or is she just exaggerating? She wants to play with her children, kiss her husband, eat dinner with her family – those thoughts were immensely overshadowed by the twisted events she's putting up with. She doesn't even remember how long ago it was since she drank any water, but the itching in the back of her throat was subsided as she grit her teeth, clenching her eyes shut as she endured the pain. Her bottom half throbbed painfully as if it were being ripped apart, each thrust only adding to the overall pain she felt. Each attempt of escape just added to the abuse that was inflicted upon her front, her naked body weak and shivering with pain._

_ The feeling of dry blood prickling at her skin with each movement made her uncomfortable, and the only thing she wanted was to see her family again. She knew that it was impossible, though; as much as she'd like to watch her son learn how to ride a bike or watch her attackers bleed just like her, she knew it will never happen. This was probably going to be the last time she ever sees daylight. The man above her carelessly thrust into her, clearly enjoying the tight feel of her womanhood despite the obvious bleeding. At this point, she gave up on trying to plead with them, very reluctantly allowing them to treat her body so ruthlessly. At some point, she lost consciousness, but the 'sleep' she went through felt as if it was her life passing right before her very eyes. She can just see her son's wide grin and bright green eyes staring right up at her, completely ignorant and oblivious to the cruel world around him._

_ She awoke to much more pain on her body than before. Besides her lower half throbbing painfully, there was a highly uncomfortable stabbing sensation in her arms and legs. Judging by the way her arms tensed and burned as a breeze ghosted over the exposed flesh, she was missing much more than just her fingernails. The pink, squishy flesh that was hidden under her fingernails were now exposed to the world, along with the muscles in her arms, and when she tried to move them, she yelped with pain. Was there... something inside of her flesh? That scared her greatly. It took her a moment to realize that she was laying on her side in a fetal position, and it also took awhile for her to notice that the pain in her legs was a bit different than her arms. She can tell she still had her skin there, but... if she felt the prick and pull correctly, was someone sewing her skin together? When she lifted her head up, she saw a slender figure crouched before her, sewing a few bits of loose skin together._

_ When the man's stone-gray eyes flicked up to meet hers, he blinked twice before disregarding her and continuing on with his work. She wordlessly watched as he finished stitching, tightening the stitches and ripping off the thread with his teeth. The burning pain coming from the needle subsided a bit, but there was just too much around her body for her to even tell what was hurting and what wasn't. She inhaled sharply as he tightened the fabric that was jutting out from her legs, holding the two pieces together above her ankles._

_ "It hurt a lot, didn't it?"  
_

_Did he just speak to her? Judging by the slightly softer voice, he was younger than most men there, and maybe older than the youngest member.  
_

_She looked back at him in question, who's expression ceased to show emotion. Lightly tugging on the strips of fabric, he repeated, "It hurt a lot, didn't it?"_

_ Taking a moment to find her voice, she hoarsely muttered, "You mean what happened earlier?"_

_ He nodded and said quietly, "You wanted someone to help you,"_

_ "... Mhm..." she laid her head back down on the cold ground to ease her oncoming headache, watching from the corner of her eye as the person tied a neat bow with the extra bits of fabric. She sniffled and idly asked, "Did that happen to you before?"  
_

_"You can tell?" he tightened the bow and left it alone to hang above her ankles, replying coldly, "I know how you feel..."_

_ She smiled weakly and closed her eyes. "But you're not sorry,"_

_ "Not sorry about not helping you, or not sorry about getting personal with the victim?"_

_ "Both, I guess. You're young, aren't you?"  
_

_"Yes, but I'm not as unfortunate as the youngest," he concluded, padding over to a nearby chair to retrieve what remained of her clothing. While he fixed the torn dress a bit and brought it over to her, he said, "You didn't expect this of your husband?"_

_ She opened her eyes again and sighed with relief when she felt her ripped dress come into reassuring contact with her mutilated body. While he took the torn pieces and fitted them on her slender shoulders, she asked, "You know who my husband is?"_

_ "I don't exactly know him or how he looks like, but I've heard a few things from Father," he mumbled. When he fitted on the ripped pieces, he reached over to the needle and straightened out the thread, proceeding to sew the fabric together. "There's a note in your pocket that Father wants to give to your husband, by the way,"_

_ "... Why are you being friendly?"  
_

_His dark gray eyes stared at her with mild interest as he finished the last stitch, knotting the thread to hold the fabric and tearing it off. "What do you mean?" _

_ "You're different," she thought for a moment and added, "You... didn't join by choice, did you?"  
_

_"I can tell you were the best mother your children could ever ask for," he chuckled softly, but the trace of a grin ceased to be identified on his expressionless face. His eyes innocently scanned over her body, taking in the disgusting sight of the jagged lacerations and the fresh bruises from the fingers that greedily dug into her hips and breasts. "You're a lot different from most of the people we've tortured, that's why I'm being... 'friendly' to you. It's really too bad that I don't care as much as I could. Sure, you're a mother, but your shitty husband really needs to learn when to shut the fuck up,"_

_ "I thought you'd say that," she said with a detached tone._

_ Footsteps were heard nearby them, and the person she was talking to flinched as a much taller figure slapped him on the back. With an encouraging voice, the visitor asked, "Are you up for something new, kid?"  
_

_"... Yes, Father..."_

_ He flipped out a pocket knife from his sleeve and presented it to his 'son', crouching down a bit so their faces were at equal level. The blade seemed to be sharper than most, the tip glinting brightly and illuminating its hostility. While the first person took his father's knife in hand with no hesitation, their victim glared at them through angry jade-green eyes. She was wary of what would come next, but beyond pissed nonetheless. _

_ Dark gray eyes finally sparked with interest as his father ordered, "Cut the whore's eye out. I don't like the look she's giving me,"_

_ "Yes, Father,"_

_ Despite the overwhelming pain shooting across her body, she tried her hardest to wriggle away from the person now bearing a knife. She hated it all; the feeling of the fabric rubbing against her flesh and sending electric sparks across her body, the disgusting way a droplet or two of blood was squeezed through one of her wounds adding to the overall mortification. The blade glinted brightly as he crouched low over her and grabbed her jaw with one hand, positioning the other right above her face to point the tip of the blade at her whited eye. She tried to jerk her head away from him, her chest stinging uncomfortably as she started to hyperventilate. She screamed in agony as the cold blade dug into her eye socket, severely ripping right through the green orb and sending flashes of red and white before the world seemed to shrink down to size._

_._

_._

Levi cursed loudly as he fell off the edge of his bed, hitting his forehead against the corner of his dresser. He felt his heart bang against his chest as the beat wracked through his entire body, his adrenaline (from fear) making him quickly untangle from the blankets and stumble away from his bed. He panted heavily as he crashed into his desk, ignoring the albums that fell off the edge and bending over the desk to rest his sweat-drenched forehead on the tabletop. Various bloodied pictures flashed in his mind from his nightmare, making him bang his head against the desk with utter disgust. A bright glint in the corner of his eye caught his attention; seeing that it was a pair of scissors that fell out of its place (along with other supplies), he immediately snatched it up with a shaky gasp. It was a good thing he removed his wristbands before he went to bed that night.

**o0o0o0o**

_ (A few days later)_

The vacation went by way too fast for Eren's comfort, who completely ruined his sleeping schedule during the two months he had off, constantly pissing Levi off by calling at three in the morning to say 'hello'. Their orientation, of course, was the same as the last one, but this time, Levi had to participate in putting up decorations, so he met up with Eren when they left to retrieve their textbooks. For some reason, Levi already had his textbooks when Eren arrived, and the students last names starting with 'N' were retrieving their books. Maybe being related to the vice-principle or joining student government for another year allowed him to get his books earlier than the rest. Armin was sitting next to Levi with his textbooks stacked neatly in his lap, absentmindedly responding to questions with a muted hum as he read through something on his phone.

Since they were no longer required to take math, PE, or science in their Senior year, they decided to take extra elective classes. It was possible to just go home earlier than most students, but during the second to last week of their vacation, they all decided to take more than one elective. Levi managed to get Eren to enroll in AP Biology/English classes with him for their Senior year, leaving them with AP English, History, AP Biology, and the electives of their choice. Armin, being the over-achiever he was, enrolled into four AP classes. Hopefully the little guy doesn't start with high hopes and leave school after crying into his pillow all one hundred seventy four nights of Senior year (the same should be said for Eren and Levi). While the students that had last names that started with 'O' lined up for their textbooks, Levi complained to Eren with impatient growls about his hate for Student Government.

"I swear to God, the amount of times Hanji throws confetti and glitter at me is complete and utter bullshit. I bet you anything Erwin has something to do with it,"

Eren rolled his eyes and watched as Levi angrily pushed his textbooks away from him, resting a forearm on the table to comfortably scroll through his phone. That forearm, of course, was completely covered in wristbands, just as it always has been. "Well, why did you even join for another year if you hate it?"

"Erwin made me promise that I'd get involved by joining that hellish elective when he finally dragged me out of the military," Levi replied, scrolling through the music list he had on his phone. "But the exchange was all right, I guess. Said he'd leave the house to me if I agreed, and he also -"

His voice trailed off with an incoherent mutter as his silver eyes flicked up and met with sky-blue. Armin gave him a highly reproachful look, momentarily staring at his bracelets before tucking his own phone away. Eren watched as the two glared at each other with a confused look; it wasn't like Armin to act like that, nor was it like Levi to act so defensive unless he had a reason to. Did they get into a fight over the Summer vacation? Levi slid his sleeves over his forearms to hide the very many bracelets he wore, turning away from the blonde to fish through his pocket for his earphones.

In an attempt to brighten up the cold atmosphere, Eren said, "What lunch do you two think you have this year?"

Levi plugged an earphone into one ear as he snorted, "I'd be surprised if I got first lunch. Pixis' really trying to separate Freshmen and Sophomores from Juniors and Seniors this year. Wouldn't be surprised if we all had second lunch because of that,"

"Do you think your uncle's going to leave this year to become an actual principle?" Armin asked curiously. "I heard a rumor about Garrison's principle retiring this year,"

Despite their earlier death match through dangerous glares, Levi gave him a casual shrug and replied, "Like hell he's going to that shitty school. Maybe he'll be lucky enough to replace Pixis,"

"But he has a few more years before retirement," Armin countered. "Unless he..."

"Dies?"

The way Eren said that so casually made the other two stare at him in disbelief. He flushed scarlet and spluttered, "D- Don't give me those looks, sheesh! I m- mean, that guy's always drunk, I wouldn't be surprised if he got alcohol poisoning one of these days. He's getting really old, too, I don't think his system can handle that much alcohol,"

"That's true," Armin sighed, slipping his phone back out to continue whatever he was reading. "He's actually really lucky. Now that I think of it, wasn't he drunk when Mar-" he bit his lip and cleared his throat, rephrasing what he had in mind with; "- when w- we got back from the zoo? I thought he would have gotten whooped by the School District for that,"

Levi's eyes narrowed as he watched his lover shift uncomfortably in his seat. "Yeah, he was... dunno why, though..."

"Enough of that," Levi cut in, tucking his phone away after picking one of his personal favorite songs on his phone. As the fast beat of drums played in his ear, he continued the conversation by nodding towards Armin and asking, "Did this brat tell you what happened over the vacation, Hunter?"

Eren's first guess was that someone died. He mentally slapped himself for that, but he raised an eyebrow at Armin, who blushed and looked away from the two. With a small mutter, the blonde said, "I... may or may not have gotten together with Jean two weeks ago..."

Eren took a moment to process this before he rolled his eyes and spat, "Don't get pissy with me if I uppercut your boyfriend for being an asshole,"

Levi smirked at the way Armin's eyes momentarily widened from Eren's threat. With a small huff that passed as a silent laugh, he stated, "Before or after I cut him?"

"Can't you do that now?" Eren grumbled. When he met Armin's glare, he waved his hand in a dismissive manner and said, "That's not the point, though. I'm happy for you two, and I'm telling you right now, if he hurts you, I'll bury him alive,"

Levi's eye twitched with disapproval when Armin replied with a small giggle, "Glad I have you for that,"

While Eren went to go retrieve his books, both Levi and Armin sat together in an awkward silence. Levi rearranged his sleeves uncomfortably, and when he looked up at Armin, he saw that the blonde had a hard gaze fixed on his sleeves.

"What is it, kid?" Levi growled.

Armin took a few more seconds to stare at his forearms before snapping his eyes back up to the raven's face. He asked simply, "Do you at least have foundation?"

He stood up from his seat and answered with a curt nod, "Loads,"

Watching as Levi stalked off to help Eren retrieve his books, Armin sighed in disappointment, taking the few minutes that the two lovers were gone to read through a conversation he had with the raven the week prior.

**o0o0o0o**

_ (A few days later)_

The first day of school, as always, was boring as hell. Most of the Seniors didn't even bother with introductions anymore, mainly because the teachers were already getting tired of enforcing such a useless task. Eren's schedule was very nearly the same as Levi's; AP English, AP Biology, their first elective of choice (which, sadly, they didn't share), their second elective of choice (they didn't have this one either) and History. Eren, Armin, and Levi all decided to go home a period earlier while most of the other Seniors settled with only having two classes in the day. To Eren's surprise, setting things up with their school counselor wasn't as bad as the previous year. The only classes that Levi and Eren didn't share were their electives – but besides that, everything was pretty much the same. They also shared their AP English and Biology classes with Armin. Various students from the previous year were seen in different periods, but the group that Eren founded in middle school managed to stay together. In his first period class is Krista, Reiner and Annie; second period is Annie, Reiner, and Bertolt; third is Hanji, Petra, Oluo, and Jean (sadly); fourth is Sasha; and fifth is [surprisingly] with everyone except Armin and Hanji. There was only a very small portion of students that actually had a sixth period this year (or rather, a few that actually cared to enroll for a sixth class when they can just go home early).

Some part of Eren was scared about his Senior year – looking back at all the deaths, secrets, arguments, and fights from the previous year, he didn't think anything would get better. Then college would follow, maybe a career if he's lucky, and hopefully he builds a happy life with the people he's grown through school with. Sadly, Levi and a small handful of others had first lunch while Eren had second, so spending lunch together might not happen as frequently as he'd like unless one of them gets a schedule change. Now that he thought about it, he'll be turning eighteen next year; he's been old enough to get his permit (then eventually his license), whereas Levi will be old enough to legally drink in a little over four months. It almost scared him to think about that.

Eren met up with Levi and Armin in the library on their second morning, only to see that Armin was talking very animatedly while Levi grinned with amusement. The two seemed to be getting along just fine compared to the week before. The raven greeted his lover with a quick peck to the lips, striking up a conversation about various authors and their work. Eren, of course, was interested, but Armin eventually lost interest and went back to reading on his phone. What Armin read was a mystery to both of them, but Eren had a good feeling that he really didn't want to know. They all sat together in the corner of the library, hidden from most of the students behind bookshelves.

"Speaking of novels, what about yours, brat? Anything fun happen over the vacation?"

Eren sighed and leaned back in his seat, replying with a small hum, "I've spent more time fucking around than I did actually writing or planning anything,"

"Typical," Levi clucked his tongue in disapproval and subconsciously readjusted his sleeves to hide his forearm (despite the wristbands that already covered them). "I've ran out of things to do on my spare time,"

Eren quietly mused, "I'm thinking of setting myself on a deadline. I just don't know how long I'll give myself for each chapter,"

"Knowing you, if you gave yourself less than a week, you would either forget, make up a half-assed excuse on why you didn't do it, or you'd get a total of fourteen hours of sleep trying to get shit done," Levi propped his elbow up on the table and rest his head on one folded hand while the other played with Eren's fingers, thinking for a moment before adding, "What do you say about a month for a chapter? Two, if you work fast enough,"

"You're willing to give me that much time?" he laughed, bring Levi's hand up to his lips to press a small kiss to his knuckles. Pressing another kiss to the palm of his hand, he continued, "I mean, a month for each chapter is all right, I guess. I'm probably the laziest writer you know. I think I'm going to spent most of that time planning out each chapter before actually executing the work,"

"That's perfectly fine, as long as you can get us the draft you're proud of by the end of the month," Levi squeezed Eren's hand as he leaned in and kissed the corner of his mouth, murmuring against his lips, "What's with the sudden display of affection, though?"

"You're the one that started it with the hand-holding,"

"- You're the one that continued it with a poor excuse of a kiss,"

"What do you mean 'a poor excuse'?"

"- It wasn't even a real kiss. Make up for it, you brat,"

They gave each other quick pecks to the lips, playfully nipping with lighthearted grins. It took them a moment to realize that Armin was still with them, which they nearly forgot. Armin stopped squealing at the sight of the two showing affection a long time ago, but it was very unusual that the little guy stayed quiet for more than ten minutes outside of class. Levi planted butterfly kisses on the length of Eren's neck as the brunette glanced over at Armin, who's eyes were speeding from paragraph to paragraph on his phone screen. Levi already knew what Eren's anomalous self was going to do, and he [almost reluctantly] pulled away to allow his lover to investigate. The blonde failed to notice this.

With a curious tilt of the head, Eren leaned in and read over his friend's shoulder with an amused voice, "_'He cried out in ecstasy as his lover thrust into his -'_"

"D- Don't read that out loud, you idiot!" Armin squeaked fiercely, abruptly turning his phone screen off and slapping Eren with all the strength he could muster up in his tiny frame.

To his greatest embarrassment, he heard Levi sigh, "Armin, you perverted little shit,"

Despite Levi sounding like he was fairly disappointed, there was still a small grin stretched across his lips. Armin growled as he silently fumed, his face burning scarlet as Eren teased him for it with nudges to the shoulder and cheeky comments. Levi rest his head on one hand while he pulled out his phone and unlocked it, immediately tapping through various folders into his music section. While his elbow was propped on the tabletop to keep his head up, his sleeve fell midway down his forearm, only being stopped by an abnormal kink in one of his wristbands. Armin's blue eyes narrowed as he pushed his embarrassment aside (with minor difficulty), eying a very obvious shade balancing between scarlet and rose-pink. It was barely visible between the slim openings from each bracelet he wore and could easily be hidden with his sleeves or pass unnoticed from far away, but from where Armin was sitting, he could see it almost perfectly. Eren tilted his head as if he were a confused puppy when Armin became unresponsive to his playful teasing.

Levi felt a small prickle at the back of his neck that signaled that he was being watched, so on instinct, he looked up to see what was wrong. When he met Armin's reproachful glare, the blonde set his phone aside and started with a tone full of disapproval; "Levi, you seriously -"

"Shut up," Levi snapped viciously, setting his phone aside as well and pulling his sleeves down to where they even covered the back of his hand.

Armin stood from his seat and snapped right back, "You said -"

The raven cut him off with a dangerous growl, standing up from his seat as well. "- I told you to _shut up_,"

This made his friend sink back a bit, but retort just as strongly, "I'll shut up when you tell Er-"

He abruptly stopped in the middle of his sentence when Levi took a threatening step forward, making him take a few steps back with fear. The only thing that stopped Levi from pouncing on his prey was that his lover was standing between the two, his green eyes narrowed with suspicion. Eren wasn't sure if he was angry at Levi for trying to attack Armin or if he was angry at Armin for confronting Levi in the first place. Thank God they were isolated from the rest of the library; the librarian or her assistant would have kicked them out by now. Armin shifted a bit uncomfortably while the raven confidently stood his ground, completely whisking Eren aside as if he was nothing.

Before he could question the two, Armin muttered furiously, "Eren, I think I see Jean, I'll see you later,"

With that, he slung his bag over his shoulder and hugged his binder tightly to his chest, speeding off into the more populated area in the library. Eren watched as his childhood friend went, and as he turned back to ask Levi about the situation, he saw that the raven already left. Quickly scanning the area, he saw that his lover was stealthily weaving through the bookshelves into the science fiction section (looking for Hanji, no doubt). He grit his teeth in frustration and angrily shoved his chair back in its place, walking off with his backpack carelessly slung over one shoulder. It's just like it always has been; everyone knows more than he does. He's always kept in the dark, no matter how much he actually wants to help. It's a wonder how he'll ever get this nightmare to stop.

**o0o0o0o**

_(Later on that day)_

_(Afternoon; fifty past twelve o'clock)_

An uncomfortable hiss passed through Levi's lips as the cold water splashed over his mutilated forearms, the sight of the slightly pink water rushing down the drain making him scowl. The orange vest he was required to wear was carelessly draped over the sink next to him, holding the pile of his wristbands together. There weren't any traces of blood on them, but what made a few droplets of his blood emerge from his scabbed wounds was the irritation. Perhaps cutting deeper than he usually would was a bad idea if he wasn't going to use bandages. His silver-gray eyes would ocassionally flick towards the door to check if there was anyone coming, and luckily, no one was even roaming the hallways at the time. It was already nearing the end of fifth period and he was just about ready to go home.

The only thing that he was concerned about was Eren. According to Armin, his wounds were starting to become noticeable, even if they were covered with his many wristbands. The angry red color of the wound and the irritated skin around it wasn't exactly infected, but rubber isn't the best thing to cover them up with. He just didn't want to use bandages; that would make things very obvious. He lifted his forearms away from the running water and watched as the droplets mixed with a small amount of his blood, running down his elbow and dripping back into the sink. The entire underside of his forearm, starting from just under his hand and ending above the crease of his elbow, was covered in multiple cuts. Some of them were light and barely visible while others were deep and scabbed over with a dark shade of scarlet, each one of them crossing over the other. He wasn't ashamed of having such wounds covering his smooth, pale skin – what he was ashamed of was the reason why he did it. Having nightmares wasn't exactly a 'reasonable' cause that would lead to cutting, but the graphic images of gore, decapitated bodies and mutilated corpses made him question why he was still there. They made him wonder what use he ever was or why his stepfather ever bothered with him, and thus, the guilt and frustration lead to self-harm.

Just as the running water came back into contact with his newer wounds and made them sting painfully, he heard a familiar voice behind him; "Having fun there?"

"You son of a bitch," Levi snapped viciously, spinning about to greet none other than Armin.

Armin was leaning against the door frame, an orange vest draped over his arm and a disappointed look on his face. His sky blue eyes watched as the excess water ran down Levi's abused forearms and gathered at his fingertips, dripping onto the tiled floor into a miniscule puddle. They flicked back up to meet with silver-gray, his eyebrow rising in question of the piercing glare.

"What, did I do something wrong?" Armin asked innocently.

Levi grit his teeth and growled, "How did you know I was here?"

"Eren," he stated simply.

Levi seemed to calm down at the mention of his lover's name, but he shook his head and accused with a dangerously low voice, "You told him, didn't you, you shitty brat? After all those fucking times I've bitched to you and asked you not to tell him, you still went and cried to him,"

"What're you going to do, beat me?" Armin left his place from the door frame and casually walked over to his friend's side, picking up one of the wristbands as if he had some interest in it. Despite his heart pounding rapidly against his chest and ringing throughout his veins, he continued with a lighthearted voice, "Your precious boyfriend isn't here to protect me, so why don't you go ahead and beat me to a bloody pulp?"

He kept down a frightened shiver, as if he was sitting right next to the animal that tore Marco's body to pieces. He wanted to betray his entire plan and apologize when he heard Levi's frigid tone; "I don't want Eren knowing that I do this shit to myself. I'm lucky that he's oblivious to almost everything around him, but honestly, kid, why the fuck do you even care? And why are you here?"

"Levi," Armin sighed heavily, facing the fuming raven in front of him with calm eyes. "I just want to help you. And no, I kept my promise and I didn't tell Eren anything. He doesn't know about the self-harm, suicide attempts, _or_ the nightmares. It's okay,"

"It's not okay," he snarled, turning off the water and staring at his wrists, aching to finally slit them into a bloodied pile of torn flesh. "You've already heard enough from me without actually gaining any answers as to why, and now you're trying to get me to tell the only person I've ever lo- _liked._ I don't know how you do it,"

"Well, technically, I forced you into giving me a few answers," Armin hummed, his eyes scanning through familiar band names on each wristband. "The real question now is why you tell me about your demons and not Eren,"

"You're much more understanding than he is,"

The blonde gave him a reproachful glare and asked, "How do _you_ know?"

"Judging by the time I told him I was twenty and by how oblivious he tends to be, he wouldn't like to know about his boyfriend being suicidal," Levi replied with a grim voice, running a thumb along one of the deeper cuts on his wrist. "But I'll answer your question; I'm not trying to offend you, but losing you in my life wouldn't hurt as much as losing Eren would,"

"So keeping him in the dark and venting to his best friend is going to make things better?"

Levi's darkened eyes glared at him before returning to his wrists. "I don't know what reaction he'll have. It's best to stay with something I'm familiar with instead of trying something new. I wouldn't be surprised if he left me. Who would want a suicidal bastard as a boyfriend, anyways?"

Armin nudged the raven away from the sink and turned on the water, allowing it to run over his right forearm. "That's like asking who would want to have a suicidal best friend,"

Levi was about to flare at Armin for mocking him by pretending to wash off blood from his perfectly clean wrist, but what he saw made him watch his tongue. Armin turned off the water and lifted his wrist; it was still smooth and free from any abuse whatsoever, but there was a scar that ran from his wrist to halfway down his forearm, tracing over the blue vein.

"I know how it feels," Armin stated simply, retracting his arm and running his index finger along the scar. "You say that Eren won't understand, but you haven't known him for more than half of your life. I could have died from this if it wasn't for him, you know,"

The pregnant silence told him to continue; "You're not the only one that's felt the pain of not knowing yourself anymore. I had your exact mindset, actually. Eren was the only friend I've ever had, and I didn't want to lose him, but he ended up finding out anyways. He saw the foundation in my drawer and he knew that I was getting bullied because of the bruises... you'd think he would have left me, but after finding me bleeding out on the bathroom floor, he gave my bullies hell. He may not know how to fight, but he's _really_ violent when he wants to be. I'm not going to tell you how I know that. You're going to have to ask him yourself,"

He turned to Levi; silver-gray flickered with some emotion as they met with sky blue. Levi gripped his wrist and gave it a small squeeze, deadpanning quietly, "We both have secrets that we don't want each other to know, huh? And you're the one we all vent to,"

"Yeah, basically," Armin sighed. "Also, Eren used to be a bit possessive when we were younger,"

Suspicion was clear in Levi's voice; "Why are you telling me that...?"

The blonde cheekily stuck his tongue out at his friend and answered, "The amount of times you glare at someone for coming too close to _your Eren_ is really funny. It actually scares a few people,"

"I don't glare at random brats," Levi snapped, but after a small pause, he breathed, "Do I really?"

"Your possessive nature's starting to show, Levi, and after all I've dragged out of you, that's not a good thing. If we're not careful, you'll get out of hand,"

They both knew that this was a joke, and it lightened up the mood a bit. Levi watched as Armin pulled out a small bottle of foundation, and he naturally held out his forearms, knowing what Armin was intending to do next. He hissed as the blonde dabbed on the foundation, the feeling of the liquid cold against his irritated skin. He watched as Armin took his time concealing the cuts, taking a bit longer with the deeper ones, taking note on how delicate he seemed to be.

When Armin was done, he closed the cap to the foundation and placed it in Levi's palm, humming softly, "And there, you're done. I'm not sure if they'll get infected, but oh well, that's what you get. I hope you payed attention, because you're going to do this on your own,"

The pad of Levi's thumb traced a dull pattern over the smooth surface of the plastic bottle. "What makes you too sure I'll stop using my bracelets just because I have make-up?"

Armin gave Levi a reassuring smile. "It won't be long before Eren tries to find out what's been happening, and if you keep yourself far away from your blades until then, those cuts would heal enough so they won't be as noticeable as they are now. I mean, yes, you can still kind of see them even with the foundation on, but from far away, you can't,"

"... So after all that, you're helping me keep this away from Eren?"

"Well, knowing him for over ten years really does teach me a lot," Armin laughed weakly. "I know I'm going to regret saying this, but Eren will most likely blame himself for his loved ones harming themselves. He's... done a couple of stupid things because of me in the past..."

"Hmph," Levi rolled the plastic bottle in his hand, giving it a skeptical look as he said, "It won't be as noticeable through the bracelets if I use this, right?"

"Not as much as it is now,"

There was a small pause after that before the raven muttered, "... I guess I really just don't want to lose Eren. I mean, if he does, I'll -"

"- You won't lose him," Armin cut in, patting a reassuring hand on Levi's shoulder.

"I hope I don't..." Levi sighed, allowing Armin to help him put the wristbands back on.

… It's really unfortunate that they were completely unaware of the golden eyes watching their every movement.

* * *

**Extra Note:**

These are just responses to anonymous reviews. I think they got a bit too long for comfort. Meh. Skip/skim through if you want.

_a:_ I bother using different languages for the sake of the story. I have no actual source besides Google, hence the reason why I don't have Levi romancing Eren with his French/German, why I'm not having future characters speak their native tongue, and why I hardly have any foreign languages in general here. If you want, I'll use my family's native tongue (Spanish) since I understand that, but I have no use for it. It'd be awesome if I knew how to speak/write German fluently, though~

_bbmorg:_ I do write in their reactions, actually. They're not as defined as they will be in the near future of this story when Eren's oblivious mind starts to open up, but they're there. I am not going to point out every little thing from the past 19 chapters for you, nor am I going to point out the times where I do mention people being taken in for questioning. Keep in mind that Levi is trying to make sure Eren stays oblivious; if you don't already have an idea why then I'm so sorry, but you're going to have to wait until later on. Hell, Hannah committed suicide (almost) over Franz's death, Mina cried for the rest of that week, Eren broke down more than once, [etc.] meaning yes, I do write in their reactions towards their friends'/lover's deaths.

**TL;DR?** Actually read through the paragraphs I write in this story. They hold a lot of the things you're looking for, not just make-out sessions and details of people's deaths. This is also mostly written Eren's third-person limited view, and the main character development I add with him is his progression from being an ignorant brat to pulling off a decent Armin later on.


	20. Erroneous

**Note:** Enjoy your semi-yandere Levi. Took me a while to start writing again, and holy shit, is it frustrating. I think I've hit a minor writer's block... I can't write anything decent at the moment, even to save my own life. The near future of this story is at stake. Help.

**Disclaimer:** The song mentioned in this chapter is called 'Setting Yourself Up For Sarcasm' by Get Scared. It's rocking my sick and twisted world at the moment.

* * *

_**Chapter Twenty: Erroneous**_

Eren crouched down low on the carpet as if preparing to pounce on his prey, growling playfully at the 'panther' before him. Ryuzaki's ears flatted back on his fluffy head as he quietly hissed in response, his tail swishing this way and that. Armin watched from the corner of his eye as his cat pounced on Eren, flicking a rough tongue at his chin and batting the tips of his chocolate locks. Eren chuckled freely as Ryuzaki climbed over his shoulder and jumped off, stalking off to bother his owner instead. Armin idly scrolled down the document displayed on his computer to continue reading, lifting his elbow from his thigh to allow his cat to curl into a comfortable ball on his lap. Eren let out a bored sigh and crawled back to Armin's bed, nudging into the covers despite it being a bit warm in the room.

"Eren, don't do that, you make me feel like a horrible person," Armin snapped when he saw Eren swathe himself into a tight cocoon. "You're really that bored?"

He heard Eren's muffled voice through the blanket; "That's why I kindly asked you to edit a bit faster,"

"Kindly asked," Armin repeated with a snort, highlighting a certain sentence from one of Eren's paragraphs and rewriting it to make a bit more sense. "I can send Lawliet over there to use you as his scratching post,"

Ryuzaki's ears flicked up at the mention of his 'nickname', his large eyes peering up at Armin, hoping that he didn't do anything wrong that would displease his owner. Armin ran a reassuring hand through his fur, using the other to delete a word and replace it with the correct spelling.

"You'd never do that," Eren called, struggling to break free from his cocoon.

"Of course I wouldn't, Eren," the blonde sighed to himself, a lighthearted smile creeping on his lips when his best friend finally pop his head out of the blankets.

By the time Eren managed to squeeze out of the cocoon, Armin closed the 'Attack on Titan' file and removed the flash drive. He held it up towards Eren, who was quite reluctant to get up and retrieve it (he was probably just lazy). The day was very boring for the both of them, but it must be worse for Levi, who was dragged off by his mother to the company office for a meeting. It's been three hours since school ended and he still hasn't received a text from his lover. During that time, they decided to bake something... or rather, Armin forced his best friend to do it as some kind of toll for editing alone. Armin decided to just hurry up and get his part of the editing done and over with, making sure to go over it thrice before handing it back to the brunette.

"When do you think Levi's going to be home?" he asked, watching as Eren pocketed the flash drive.

Eren yawned into the back of his hand, idly replying, "I don't know, he said he'd text me,"

Ryuzaki readjusted in Armin's lap for a bit before uncurling and jumping off his lap, stretching out his back and trotting off to venture into the hallway. It was a good thing they left the door open already, because chances were pretty good that the cat would end up whining loudly in a demand to get out. It wasn't the best sound in the world. Armin left his seat and decided to follow Ryuzaki out the door, ignoring Eren's protests and dragging him out into the living room. The cat mewled as it jumped up onto the couch and proceeded to groom its fur, idly watching through large yellow eyes as his owner searched for oven mitts. Eren took a seat at the dining table and scrolled through his phone with only mild interest, listening to Armin sing a depressing and gruesome song in a cheerful voice. Something about the other person being the corpse and him being the killer, if Eren heard correctly. It's been years since Armin has first started singing while Eren was around, and it seemed like the blonde has gotten better with the amount of practice. Just as he was about to tuck his phone away, it vibrated in his hand, the screen illuminating to notify him about the text he received. Armin failed to notice this as he rummaged through the cabinets, standing on the tips of his toes and attempting to reach for the unopened can of frosting.

Eren sighed in relief when he saw the text was from Levi._ 'Sorry about that, kid. Is Armin done editing yet?'_

He hastened to send his reply; _'- Yeah, he is.'_

_'Do you think you two brats could bring it over, or do I have to wait until school tomorrow?'_

"Armin, how long will it take for the bread to finish baking?" Eren asked, his green eyes peering over to his best friend, who was comparing two flavors of frosting.

The blonde hummed brightly in response, "Uh... twenty-five minutes, thirty maybe?"

_'- We'll be there in thirty minutes. Armin's baking something and I don't think he'd want to accidentally blow the house up by leaving the oven on.'_

_ 'I'll see you then.'_

Eren slid his phone back into his pocket, and as he did that, he heard the door to the oven open screech open. He looked up when he heard Armin call, "Oops, scratch that! It's already done!"

The brunette whined playfully, "I told Levi it'd take thirty minutes, though,"

"So what? Showing up thirty minutes early isn't bad!" Armin giggled, pulling out the cake pan and setting it aside on a wooden chopping board. "Want me to just drop you off there? I can pack you some cake and bring it to you tomorrow morning, if you want,"

"Yeah, I guess,"

Armin nodded and disappeared off into the hallway to retrieve their shoes, leaving Ryuzaki to stalk into the dining room and bat at Eren's toes. Eren whisked the cat away and met Armin halfway, carelessly slipping his shoes on without untying the shoelaces. He decided it wasn't really necessary to warn Levi he was coming earlier, because there were a few times over the months that he'd show up earlier than usual. The worst he found was Levi using a hair clip to keep his bangs out of his face. Ryuzaki mewled loudly in protest when they walked out the door, his large eyes giving them a reproachful look before he scampered off to cause mayhem around the house while they were gone.

While Armin started up the car, Eren rolled down the window and absentmindedly asked, "So, what about you and Horse-face? Anything interesting happened yet?"

He saw his best friend blush vividly before spluttering, "Er - a few things, I- I guess... It d- depends on what you m- mean by _'interesting'_..."

"You're acting like -" _(Eren's eyes narrowed when he saw the strong blush on Armin's cheeks)_ "- Wait, he didn't- you two- did he seriously -?!"

"Don't worry about it, Eren!" Armin said with a flustered squeak, slapping Eren's forearm when the brunette tried to lecture him.

The ride there was, like any other time, weird and completely random – it was totally different than the car rides Eren had with Levi. Eren would usually be quieter than usual when he was in the car with his lover, both conversing with soft croons and a usual caress to the hand every here and there from Levi. Then there was Armin – there was horrible singing (mostly by Eren), really bad jokes, and screaming (mostly by Armin) involved. God knows how those two manage to prevent giving other people headaches when they're together. It was rare that they would have serious conversations on the road, but when they did, it was Armin forcing Eren to vent or else he'd take them to the city's graveyard. Armin wasn't fond of threatening Eren like that, especially since his mother's death is still an emotional stress to him today. But he'll drop or raise to any type of degree in order to help out his best friend, just as Eren did for him before.

When they got there, the blonde hummed a very cheerful 'goodbye' and gave Eren a one-armed hug, spending an extra minute to remind him to tell Levi about a certain part he wasn't quite sure he edited correctly. With that, Armin was off, leaving Eren to walk up the familiar smooth steps of his lover's home. He rang the doorbell and impatiently waited, idly scanning over the rose bushes and spotting a smokey-gray cat skulking through the lower branches. Taking mild interest in the animal, he watched as it disappeared into a certain part of the bush, only to reappear a few moments later holding a kitten in its mouth by the scruff of the neck. It must have been a mother relocating to a safer home. His interest was demolished as he heard the loud click of the front door being unlocked, so naturally, a bright smile tore across his lips, a cheerful greeting waiting to roll off his tongue. Right when the door swung open, he started his greeting, but he instantly cut himself off before the first vowel was even pronounced; bright green met with bi-colored gray.

"I didn't know we were having company!" Lauren said cheerfully, grinning when she saw the surprised look on Eren's face. "Good afternoon, sweetie! Are you here to see Levi?"

After taking a moment to process this, Eren spluttered, "Er, yeah, is h- he here?"

Lauren sighed as she leaned against the door frame, "He's taking his second shower this afternoon. Thought he used up all the hot water already. I swear, that boy will be the death of me,"

"Is he?" Eren asked, holding in his amusement. "Should I come later, or...?"

"You could wait for him in his room, if you'd like," she suggested, stepping aside as a gesture to invite Eren in. "I'm going to be leaving in a few minutes, but I'm sure he'll be out by then,"

Eren hesitantly stepped in and gave her a small smile. "Sure, thanks!"

"Anytime, dear,"

They departed after that, with bi-colored eyes meeting green, and Eren knew that he spent a second too long staring at the clouded, light gray eye that stared lifelessly at him, its pupil completely unresponsive to the lighting. He wondered so many things about it, but it was very rude to ask why she was blind by one eye. Lauren most likely knew that he was curious, but she said nothing. While she stalked back into the kitchen to search for her purse, Eren scurried into the hallway, feeling as if he was wandering into foreign land. Some part of him felt like a criminal for going into Levi's room without his lover's actual permission, but it couldn't be that bad, right? He silently closed the door behind him and took a deep breath, his eyes scanning over the familiar scenery; everything was spotless and organized. It all looked the same except for a stray wristband laying on the desk. It was laying flat on the smooth surface, the inside of it completely visible while the side brandishing the band logo remained hidden. He neared the wristband and curiously raised an eyebrow – the wristband itself was black, but as it progressed to the inner layer, the black color was frayed and dimmed gray, eventually becoming a solid white. If he was correct, he saw tiny specks of scarlet on the gray area, but there was no trace of where it could have came from, nor was there too much of it to tell if it was paint or something else.

Eren turned away from the wristband and allowed himself to scan the area, silently hoping that there would be something else to give him a clue as to what Levi's wristbands held. He wasn't that oblivious; he knew for a fact that the inner layer was only bleached white because it must have been cleaned several times by the raven. Why Levi continuously cleaned it, he didn't know, but he was determined to find out. The digital clock seemed to flicker at the corner of his eye, and the muffled sound of the front door creaking open and being snapped shut shortly afterward was heard in the distance (Levi's mother must have left); the very faint smell of coffee that usually possessed Levi's atmosphere reached his nostrils, along with the scent of bleach. Why was he so aware of his surroundings? Looking back at the desk, he scanned the small area for anything else. He knew Levi was hiding something. With a hesitant intake of breath, he reached over to the desk and gripped the handle of the drawer nearest to the wristband. He jerked the drawer open, expecting to see Levi's school supplies neatly stacked and categorized, but his heart jumped with fear and his eyes widened.

The light coming from the raven's light bulb seemed to illuminate its contents; numerous blades were all messily thrown into the drawer, all of them speckled with crusted bits of crimson. As he pulled the drawer further out of its socket, folded towels came into view, but what made that statement horrible was that the yellow, mildly fluffy material was stained with scarlet, the color of the actual towel itself starting to become white from what he guessed was bleach. The drawer's internal walls were smeared with blood, the silky-black handle of a lone pocket knife glinting brightly in his eye.

… Is this what Levi was hiding from him this whole time?

The door abruptly swung open, so on instinct, he slammed the drawer shut and stepped away from it, staring at the intruder through wide eyes. Levi stood at the doorway, one arm holding the door open while the other held a white towel in his hair, an identical towel wrapped tightly around his waist. What took Eren's attention away from Levi's shocked expression was his forearms; numerous lacerations were sprawled across his wrists, progressing downwards towards the elbow and stopping just above the crease of the joint. Each was crossed over the other, as if he was purposely trying to create an 'X' with each one, the lighter cuts lined with healing skin while the deeper cuts seemed to glow an angry red. Jade-green eyes narrowed while silver-gray darkened, and in that instant, Levi's grip on the doorknob tightened. He tried to swing the door shut, but to his greatest surprise, Eren was already gripping tightly onto his wrist, completely ignoring the pained hiss and forcefully pulling him back into the room. Eren kicked the door shut and locked it, pushing Levi back against the hard surface and resting his hands on either side of the raven's head, trapping him on the spot. The towel that Levi held in his hand was thrown to the floor, left completely forgotten.

"Is this what you've been hiding from me?" Eren snapped angrily, clutching Levi's forearm and forcing it up to eye-level. "_This_ is the thing you've kept from me the whole time?"

Levi tried to yank his arm away from his lover, but that only made the abused skin burn painfully. He growled dangerously, "Let me go, you brat,"

Eren's grip tightened significantly. "No,"

"I said _let go_," Levi repeated, his black eyes glaring at Eren with a look of pure anger and blood lust.

Despite this frightening look, the brunette [none-too-gently] pinned Levi's hand to the door by the wrist, ignoring the sharp intake of breath. "Tell me why,"

"It doesn't concern you,"

"Yes, it does,"

Levi's muscles tensed and ached to actually be used for the first time in years, but he ignored the urge and snarled, "What's it to you, kid? Let me go and get the fuck out of here,"

"I'm not leaving anytime soon," Eren hissed, his eye twitching with major disapproval. "I already asked you to tell me why. Spit it out,"

After a small pause, Levi forced through clenched teeth, "... I needed something to take out my frustration with. There, are you happy now?"

Eren huffed and grinned, his voice sounding very amused; "So after all these months of hiding this from me, you give me a half-assed answer, even when I've finally caught you? I'm disappointed in you, Levi; I'm sure you made a shit ton of other excuses that made a lot more sense than the one you just pulled out of your ass right now,"

"What, do you expect me to tell you my life story the first week we start dating?" Levi spat, using the strength he could muster up in that split second to force Eren back. While the brunette struggled to keep his place, Levi continued, "Tell me, you oblivious little shit stain, what does it matter to you if I do this to myself? Don't kids your age always do this for attention, thinking that a cut the size of my nail deserves to be treated as if it's a mortal wound? I'm pretty sure I'm just doing that now, so why don't you fucking drop it and get out of my face?"

While he said that, he wrapped a hand around Eren's fist and squeezed, gradually pouring more of his force into the action. The sound of Eren's knuckles cracking sounded like a sweet melody, one that was almost as sweet as honey. He wanted to hear more... but from someone other than Eren.

"Why?" Levi asked, watching as his lover slowly started to sink back into his own shadow, "Why should an innocent brat like you even bother?"

Eren's bright eyes sparked angrily, the color similar to a lion's, a vicious growl leaving the back of his throat as he forcefully pushed Levi back against the door. Levi glared at him, absentmindedly taking note of his towel that drooped dangerously low on his hips. It was as if Eren was the hunter, preparing to sink his teeth into his prey. He was beyond pissed. After all these months, Levi really wondered why he cared. Levi is the real 'oblivious little shit stain' if he really thought that his erroneous opinion was the truth. Was he just afraid to confess that he's ashamed of what the truth about him held?

"It's because I care!" Eren snapped, applying much more force to his hold than he had the last time. Levi's cold stare gradually softened as Eren continued; "I fucking love you, Levi, don't you understand that?! I don't give a rat's ass if you don't return the Godforsaken sentiment – I _love_ you, and I don't want to lose you!"

They were lucky that Levi's mother left just before he got out of the shower. Levi bit his lip and started, "... Eren -"

"- Shut up already, will you? I'm tired of your shady bullshit and I'm tired of you acting like an asshole about it!" Eren cut in angrily, the intensity of his glare forcing Levi to look away. "You think that no one cares when they actually do! You have your mom, Mr. Smith, Ryuzaki, Armin and company – you have _me_,"

The pregnant silence signaled him to continue; "You don't have to tell me your life story, I know you wouldn't tell me something that important yet. What matters to me now is why you're cutting. I've went through a lot with Armin when I was younger and he nearly died once. I don't want that to happen to you, too, not after all the shit that we've had to go through. I love you, Levi. I don't care what you say,_ I love you, _and that's why bother,"

Levi felt his throat tighten uncomfortably as he tried to swallow, his heart throbbing painfully in his chest. "... You... _love_ me...?"

Eren's hold on his shoulders slackened greatly. "I do. Hasn't anyone ever told you that before?"

The raven's expression didn't change, but his voice seemed a bit softer; "Only once,"

This really did take Eren by full surprise. He knew Levi wouldn't lie in a situation like this, but only _once?_ "Please, Levi. Be honest with me; why are you doing this to yourself?"

Levi merely shook his head, completely lost on how to convert his thoughts into actual words. Eren thought for a moment and guessed, "... Was it... because of the deaths that's happened so far?"

"... Not exactly," his eyes finally met with Eren's, a small trace of guilt seen within the silvery depths. "I've seen worse than that. Much worse. I just don't know how to deal with it... there's one thing that I wish I haven't done, and that was allowing my mother to marry my stepfather. I was a little kid, yeah, but I could have done something. That son of a bitch shouldn't have walked into our home,"

The brunette pulled Levi away from the door and hugged him tightly, a relieved sigh leaving his lips when he felt Levi's arms slither around his waist to return the embrace. "You were a kid back then, there wasn't much you could do. Is... is it all right if I ask why you don't like your step dad...?"

After a small pause, Levi muttered, "I don't want to talk about it,"

Eren's embrace tightened significantly, breathing into the raven's wet hair, "That's fine. That's perfectly fine. I'll wait as long as it takes for you. I just don't want you to cut anymore. It's not worth it,"

"... Eren..."

"Hm?"

Levi gave his lover a small squeeze as he hesitantly asked, "... Would you leave me if I ended up harming myself again?"

"I'd want to help you, not hurt you even more," the brunette responded with a soft croon.

"... What if I tried to suicide again?"

"I'll stop you before that happens,"

Another small pause dragged by before Levi asked with a grim voice, "And if I told you something you'd never want to hear?"

"I'm ready for the worst," Eren answered, pulling away to meet his lover's eye.

Levi wore an unimpressed mask as usual, but his eyes sparked brightly with an emotion that was quite hard to understand. His hold around Eren's waist loosened a bit so he could pull away if he really wanted to, but after a brief moment of eye contact, they both leaned in for a kiss. Their lips finally met after what felt like ages, when in reality, it was only a few hours. It was almost as sweet as honey. Eren's ear caught a small thud, so on instinct, he broke away from the kiss to investigate. That was a mistake, though; when he looked down towards their feet, there wasn't just one discarded towel. Eren's eyes widened significantly when he caught a glimpse of Levi's flaccid member, abruptly squeezing them shut with a vivid blush. The raven's expressionless face ceased to change as he refused to let his lover pull away. Normally, in this case, he'd smirk and tease Eren for acting like a young schoolgirl, but there was a different part of him that was starting to show, one that he wasn't quite sure he was fortunate to have or not.

"Levi, y- you're naked, God damn it!" Eren hissed, taking mild precaution not to injure the abused forearms that were wrapped around his waist. "L- Let go!"

"You're not leaving me," he replied quietly, giving the brunette a firm squeeze despite the burning pain he felt.

"But you're -"

Levi forced them much closer together as he tightened the embrace, strongly clinging to his lover as he growled dangerously, "I said _you're not leaving me_,"

This made Eren's heart skip a beat. No, it wasn't from fear; he wasn't scared of Levi in the slightest, but hearing those words was sugary to his ears, hardly even so for his taste. Was he... _fond_ of Levi's possessive nature? He thought for a moment before returning the embrace, a small grin spreading across his lips when he felt Levi's warm breath tickle his neck.

"I'm not leaving anytime soon, am I?" Eren hummed, oddly content with the attention.

"No, you're not," the raven confirmed, his growl much softer than the last.

There was just one other thought in Levi's mind that made him feel like an idiot – Armin was right this whole time.

**o0o0o0o**

Armin whined as his phone was pulled right out of his hands, fruitlessly trying to reach as Eren held the device high above his head. Levi rolled his eyes as he momentarily took interest in the two teenagers next to him, watching as they started play fighting for the phone. Eren held it out of Armin's reach, who threatened to bite if he didn't get it back. It was already Friday and the school's library was extremely noisy, and since the librarian was replaced with a much more relaxed and generous woman this year, they were allowed to talk normally on the last day of the school week (every other rule still applied, but since she wasn't in sight, the students tend to engage in horseplay). Levi turned his attention back to the computer screen and allowed his gray eyes to continue scanning through the text, making sure that there were no grammar or spelling mistakes that Armin left the day previous. The few hours spent after his conversation with Eren went by smoothly, but they didn't even bother editing that night; the rest of that evening was quite blurry to Levi, who ended up dozing off after cuddling his lover to near death. It's been too long since he's shown that side of himself, and he highly doubts that Eren would tell anyone. He appreciates that greatly.

Just as he finished reading through the last paragraph, Armin managed to push Eren off his seat. They were extremely lucky that the librarian was busy organizing books with her assistant in the back room. The students that were in neighboring computer desks snickered while others gave them disgusted looks, watching as Eren snapped angrily at a giggling Armin. Those two acted like young children if they weren't kept in check by a third person. Levi unknowingly clenched his right fist as his left rubbed his tired eye, slightly turning his head to the side to watch the two through one dangerously blackened eye. Armin finally got his phone back, and he was taunting Eren with playful insults, delivering a friendly nudge to the shoulder like he usually would. The corner of Levi's eye twitched; Armin was much too close to his lover, with very unnecessary physical contact to add to it. It's not likely for a panther to simply allow another animal to touch what belonged to it.

Armin was about to deliver another lighthearted taunt when he felt a perturbed shiver run down his spine. On instinct, he turned to Levi, expecting to see the raven removing the flash drive with the newest chapter fully revised. Instead, he was met with a piercing glare, but this one was much different from the others; the pupils were practically reduced to slits, the eye itself widened but the iris abnormally darkened with a maddened look. He looked crazed and lustful for blood. He's never seen this look in Levi's eye before, and it certainly scared him. Eren failed to notice this as he cheerfully greeted Reiner and Bertolt, who were just passing by the computer desks on their way out the library. He also saw that Annie was with them, but she lost interest at the sight of Eren and stalked off. Levi unclenched his fist and growled lowly to himself so no one would hear him, returning his attention back to the computer screen to eject the flash drive. Armin felt as if his heart was pounding against his chest with fear, taking a moment to give Levi one last computing look over before turning to greet the two visitors.

"So, Eren? Are you joining the basketball team this year or not?" Reiner asked, his golden eyes looking hopeful.

Eren shook his head and laughed, "I already told you, I'll join if Armin does,"

"That's not funny!" Armin whined with a vivid pout.

Reiner gave Armin a playful nudge with his elbow and teased, "Who knows, maybe you'll whip yourself into shape this year,"

Armin snapped like an angry chihuahua, "I'll show you who's in shape!"

While Reiner continued to playfully taunt a raging Armin, Eren stretched his back, sighing with relief from the popping. He saw that Levi was ejecting the flash drive with one hand, the other weaving through his hair with stress. What Levi was stressed about, he didn't know, but he felt mildly concerned about the bracelets that covered the raven's entire forearm. None of the skin below the elbow was exposed, but Eren already knew full well what was hidden underneath. No one would want to see such a barbarous sight... to think someone would cause that much damage to themselves. The scars that would be left behind are more than likely going to look terrible. Snapping out of his thoughts, he cocked his head toward the sound of a chair squeaking next to him, watching as Bertolt hesitantly took a seat with his binder clutched to his chest. He seemed to be avoiding eye contact with everyone there.

"What's wrong, Bertolt? Are you all right?" Eren asked, careful to keep his voice down so the two blondes next to him wouldn't hear.

That was a mistake. When Bertolt turned to him, Eren saw that there were dark bags under his eyes, and his lip had a deep gash – made by chewing on it for so long, no doubt. They stayed motionless for a second before Bertolt breathed, "Eren, could I ask you something?"

"... Go for it,"

"D- Do you really believe v- vice-principle Erwin when he says that M- Marco's death -" _(he sharply inhaled as his eyes whited, his voice shaking dangerously in an effort of keeping the tone low enough for only them to hear) _"- was only a _s-s- suicide?_"

Eren's instincts took a defensive turn, but he still kept calm and stayed in his seat. It terrified him greatly; this was the first time in months he's felt threatened by someone when Levi was in the same room as him, and he didn't even know why. He's not sure what's worse; that he's grateful that he wasn't the only one wary of his life because of the previous deaths, or that Bertolt seemed to be losing his mind by asking just one simple question.


	21. Acquaintance

**Note:** Please don't hate me.

**Disclaimer:** Are you blood? Because my heart can't pump without you.

* * *

_**Chapter Twenty One; Acquaintance**_

Eren idly watched as a group of students stalked into the library, all whispering excitedly together with broad grins on their faces. He rest his head on one folded hand while the other laid useless on the table, his fingers tapping a steady beat against the wood. September was only three days away and the week was almost over, which he was glad for. The month was extremely boring during lunchtime now that he didn't share it with Levi. Sure, there were a small number of people that still talked to him nowadays, but he'd rather not bother them. He last saw Armin reading a book with Jean (or rather, he was reading while Jean tried to spark conversation), their fingers loosely weaved together. As much as he disapproved of Armin being in a relationship with the horse-faced bastard he's hated for years, he'd rather leave the two alone, just as Armin had done with him and Levi. While he got lost in his own thoughts, his eyes finally brightened and slid back into focus, only to see that he was mildly slumped in his chair and holding a gaze at the students that entered the library.

One of the girls with a neat ponytail gave him a reproachful glare and elbowed her friend, who looked back and scanned him through eyes filled with both disgust and mild fear. They scoffed in unison and whispered to the rest of the group, who followed them to a different location. Eren watched as they hurried off deeper into the library, his heart sinking as he straightened up in his seat. Rubbing circles on his temples with a depressed sigh, he debated between scrolling through his phone or doing homework that was due for his last period. Lunch was only forty minutes long, and when he checked the clock above him, he had thirty minutes left. It'll be a pain in the ass finishing his biology paper with only thirty minutes to write [neatly] and revise. He spun back in his seat to unzip his backpack, rummaging through the numerous crumpled papers and fishing out his binder. He gave the cover of his binder a tired look and turned back in his seat to set it on the table, only to be met with unusually bright silver eyes.

"Have I ever told you that your hair is neater in the back than it is in the front?"

Eren flinched with a sharp gasp, the sight of Levi sitting in the chair across from him scaring him beyond anything for that moment. Levi was leaning forward in his seat, his hands folded inwards with his fingers weaved together, lightheartedly propping his head up with a mildly interested look on his face. "W- What the hell, Levi?! You're not supposed to be here!"

"That's not really nice, you brat," Levi huffed in response, watching as Eren calmed down a bit. "Technically, I am supposed to be here for the day. Split lunches work wonders, you know,"

Eren tilted his head to the side in question. "Split – wait, what?"

"Since I have to work on some days, I get my lunches split. Sometimes I work first lunch and eat second with you, or the opposite. Student government is a bitch, but at least I get to visit on days like these, right?"

After taking a small moment to process this, Eren asked, "That's for every member, right?"  
"Yeah,"

"Then why didn't you get your lunches split last year?" when Levi cleared his throat and looked away, Eren added, "I'm going to find out sooner or later. I have Hanji for third,"

"- We're going onto fifth period after this, smart ass,"

"What makes you think I won't ask her tomorrow?"

"- I can always talk to her before school,"

"Do you really believe that Hanji will keep her mouth shut?"

Levi glared at him and folded his arms over his chest, crossing one leg over the other and muttering, "I might have... bribed the teacher..."

"Levi!" the brunette sighed, shaking his head. "You don't bribe teachers!"

"But I did it anyways, and it worked until Erwin caught me," he growled, avoiding Eren's disapproving eyes. "He said he'd switch my elective if I did that again. I should start bribing again so he'd get me out of this hellish class,"

"Wouldn't you be breaking your promise if you did that?"

Levi's eyes drooped for a fraction of a second as he lifted his forearm slightly, his gray eyes scanning over the wristbands. "This wouldn't be the only promise I've broken..."

Without a second thought, Eren reached over the table and gently gripped Levi's wrist. Despite the reproachful glare he earned, he pulled the forearm out of Levi's lap and onto the table, using the other hand undo the first few wristbands. The raven promised he wouldn't self-harm again, and Eren knew that his lover wouldn't lie to him about that, but he checked just for extra measure. This might have been an insult of some sort to Levi, but even if it was, he refused to show it. He merely watched as Eren gingerly caressed the area, paying extra attention to where the foundation failed to conceal the deeper parts of his wounds. The shallow cuts were easily covered, but the ones that were scabbed over seemed to stand out on his pale skin, emphasizing the fact that there were wounds inflicted upon the delicate skin. Levi's tense shoulders began to soften as he leaned forward against the desk, his eyes meeting his lover's concerned gaze.

His unimpressed mask was shattered as a genuine smile spread across his lips, one that Eren rarely ever sees. "I'll keep that one, though, that's for sure,"

That was enough to convince him. Eren gave his lover's hand a firm squeeze and let go, allowing him to place the wristbands back where they belonged. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a sudden movement and the bright glint that usually came from the lens of glasses. The two were caught by full surprise as Hanji wrapped her arms around Levi, a very broad grin etched on her face. The raven instantly snatched the remaining two wristbands from their table and concealed the exposed part of his wrist with the sleeve of his shirt, knowing full well that Hanji probably saw anyways.

"Levi, what are you doing here?" Hanji giggled, nuzzling into the raven's hair. "I didn't know you had second lunch with me this week!"

Levi's eye twitched with major disapproval. He leaned away from Hanji's touch as he growled, "No need to get touchy, shit-glasses,"

Hanji tightened her hold and whined, "But you're always touchy with Eren!"

"You're not Eren," Levi stated simply.

"So you'll let Eren touch you and not me?"

"- Depends what you mean by 'touch',"

"Oh, you know _exactly_ what I mean,"

"- Shut up,"

While Hanji teased a fuming Levi, Eren saw that another student was standing not too far from Hanji, a small notebook and pen clutched to her chest. Her expression was calm despite her protuberant eyes which were a delicate color of hazel, and her dark brown hair was just about shoulder-length. Her hair was parted towards the further right side of her head, her hair being tucked behind the left ear while the other was left alone, almost framing her facial structure. She wore a large sweater that had sleeves longer than her actual arms, but the way she was holding her notebook made her hands visible. She looked a little too young to be a Senior, but she was probably wasn't a Freshman; if she was, Hanji wouldn't have met her. To Eren, she was like an adorable puppy, and he wondered who the girl was. Chances are, if Hanji brought her, they shared some sort of interest.

"Who's this?" Eren asked, interrupting Levi's twentieth death threat.

The girl's protuberant eyes slightly widened (if that was even possible) as Hanji stepped away from Levi and said with a vivid gesture, "This beautiful human being is Ilse!"

"That poor soul," Levi sighed, his gray eyes giving Ilse a slightly apologetic look. "Don't let that damned nutcase scare you away, now,"

Hanji crossed her arms and said with a pout, "That's not nice!"

Ilse's hold on her notebook tightened as she tried to tuck a short strand of hair behind her ear, but that failed miserably. When she spoke, a heavy German accent was clear in her voice; "She's not _that_ crazy..."

Eren's green eyes addressed Ilse with a friendly spark as he curiously asked, "So where have you been for the past three weeks? I thought Hanji would have introduced you to us earlier,"

Ilse smiled gently and replied, "I wasn't enrolled until the second week of school. Ms. Brzenska took a bit to finalize my schedule, and that didn't happen until the previous week,"

Eren processed this for a moment and gasped, "Wait, I thought Rico taught English! Why would she be setting up people's schedules?"

All three of his friends (or rather, his lover, friend, and acquaintance) stared at him in disbelief. Hanji answered; "Mr. Smith announced that Rico was being promoted to secretary before we left school. Don't you remember?"

"Really?"

Levi pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, "Just how oblivious are you?"

"I- I'm probably not the only one who didn't know! There could be a ton of other people that thought she was still teaching English!" Eren snapped in his defense.

Ilse hesitated for a moment before saying, "... I've never been to this school and I knew that 'Rico' was secretary before you..."

Levi and Hanji said in unison; "Exactly,"

Eren crossed his arms and rolled his eyes at their amused grins. Levi decided to continue the conversation by asking Ilse; "So how did someone as quiet as you meet this thing?"

Hanji was about to flare at Levi for calling her a 'thing', but Ilse replied almost instantly, "She's a scientist like me. These two students – Luke and Dita, I believe – were showing me around campus, and I ran into her when I was visiting my future chemistry teacher. Hanji's a... a, er... interessantes mädchen..."

"You find her bullshit interesting?" the raven asked in disbelief. At the sight of her questioning gaze, he added, "Yes, I can speak German, but I'm still a bit rusty,"

"I'm glad for that..." she sighed, a smile spreading across her lips as she continued, "I haven't met anyone that could speak my language yet. I moved from Germany recently with my father, but I've been studying English for three years.. I'm just a little off when it comes to talking instead of writing..."

"You two never did introduce yourselves," Hanji pointed out towards the duo, who completely forgot about that.

"I'm Eren," the brunette gestured towards himself, then to his lover, adding, "and this is Levi,"

Ilse gave them both computing looks before stopping on Levi to ask, "What's your last name?"

"Smith," he replied promptly. "Why are you asking?"

"Oh, it's just your first name that reminds me of something," Ilse idly thumbed through the notebook in her hand and mused, "My father owns a business in Germany... he's been looking for a man named 'Levi Ackerman' lately, but I don't know why,"

He rolled his eyes and said, "You wouldn't be the only one that thought my surname was Ackerman,"

"I see,"

Hanji slipped out her phone to check the time, and when she saw that the bell was about to ring, they said their goodbyes before dragging Ilse further into the library. After they conversed a bit about Hanji and Ilse (with Levi genuinely wondering when Hanji was going to scare her new friend away), the bell rang, and everyone in the library immediately gathered up their belongings to leave. Since Levi didn't have to return to his Student Government classroom, he walked with Eren to fifth period, keeping a close eye on who would stop by to give the brunette a high-five or a friendly greeting.

**o0o0o0o**

_(Later on that day)_

Fifth period breezed by like nothing, and eventually, Eren found himself back in Levi's room, comfortably swathed into a loose cocoon with his lover's blankets. Levi was sitting cross-legged at the foot of his bed, his binder laying wide open on his lap. He was rummaging through the science section of his binder, flipping through numerous papers before ocassionally stopping on one that contained his biology notes and taking them out, placing a sticky note on where it was so he could organize later on. There was going to be a test the next day that was worth about seventy percent of their grade, and if Eren failed, he was screwed. So, for that afternoon, they planned on studying together, but they ended up procrastinating for the first three hours. Levi disapproved of this greatly, and thus, they were now going to study whether they liked it or not. Dinnertime was approaching quickly and Levi's mother was actually going to be home that night, so naturally, she invited Eren to stay for dinner.

While Levi scanned through his notes to make sure they were the correct ones, Eren crawled out of his cocoon and reached over the side of the bed to where he left his own binder. There was a stack of papers and a mechanical pencil waiting on top of his binder, which he prepared a few minutes earlier so he could copy his lover's biology notes. He allowed his mind to wander off for a bit as some sort of way to kill time; there was just one thing he was curious about. The very brief conversation that he had with Bertolt the previous week made his own instinct shiver, but he didn't exactly understand why. The expression Bertolt wore was quite hard for him to explain – if anything, it was crazed and somewhat fearful. It's a bad thing that Eren was comforted by this. He won't deny that he's feared his own life whenever someone else in their school died. Even when he spent a little bit of his free time thinking about those deaths, some part of him wanted to stamp it as 'murder' and blame it on someone else, but who was there to blame?

This thoughts were interrupted as Levi's voice snapped angrily, "Oi, brat, are you listening to me, or have I been talking to myself the past few minutes?"

"No, I'm listening," Eren said almost frantically, blushing when he saw Levi give him an unimpressed look.

"Then what did I just say?"

The pregnant silence gave Levi his answer.

He set his binder aside and handed Eren the stack of notes, who took them with no hesitation. "What's on your mind, kid?"

It surprised Eren a bit at how easily Levi could see right through him. "What do you mean?"

"There's something bothering you, I know it," Levi scooted over to Eren's side and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Is there anything you want to talk about?"

The brunette was about to reply with a hurried 'no' so they could avoid an unnecessary conversation and study like they originally planned to. But now that he thought about it, would it really be unnecessary to say what's been lingering in his mind? Eren did spend a night or two comforting Levi, who was still struggling with his night terrors. There were times where Levi planned on self-harming on a different part of his body so Eren's wouldn't know, but he felt guilty doing that. Newer wounds on his flesh ceased to be identified after that.

Eren bit his lip and said, "Well... I had a small conversation with Bertolt and... it scared me a bit..."

"What did that bastard do to you?" Levi growled, his atmosphere dropping to a lower degree with hostility. "I swear to fuck if he -"

"- He didn't do anything bad!" the brunette cut in with a frantic wave of his hand. "I just... I'm wondering what's going on with him, that's all,"

Levi seemed to calm down a bit. "Did something he say bother you?"

Eren gave his lover a weary look and turned away, muttering, "... He asked if I believed your uncle when he said that Marco's death was an accident... something about it being a suicide..."

After a small pause, Levi's hand slid from his shoulder to his hand, giving it a comforting squeeze as he said, "It might have been a suicide, a mistake, or an actual homicide, but we don't know that for sure. He seemed like a really happy kid, so why would he want to kill himself like that?"

Eren bit his lip, the skin threatening to tear with the intensity of his bite. "I know he wouldn't suicide, and I know he isn't dumb enough to lean over the fencing like that and 'accidentally' fall in. It doesn't work like that... he's not one to break the rules..."

"So you're saying it's a murder?"

"Hmph... sometimes, I really wish I had the faintest idea on how to predict these murders," the brunette chuckled darkly, taking note on the way Levi's grip on his shoulder tightened. "I know they're murders. I_ know_ it,"

Levi's eyes sparked with curiosity. "And just how do you know that they're murders, Hunter?"

Eren looked back at his lover with a determined mask, saying confidently, "I'm the one that's playing God in my story, and I'm the one that's going to put an end to these deaths. Accidents don't happen that frequently, Levi, and accidents that happen at a damned public high school aren't that gory,"

"So you're blaming everything on yourself, giving yourself a responsibility, and trying to piece something together with your superstition and poor examining skills," Levi listed off, removing his hand from his lover's and hiding a grin behind his stoic facade. "Tell me; are these murders or accidents? Intentional or unintentional? Logic or your superstition?"

"Why do you seem so amused by this?" Eren snapped angrily, watching as Levi's unimpressed mask finally shattered with a smirk. "I'm murdering all these people, and here you are, thinking it's a fucking joke!"

"I'm not saying it's a joke, and you're not murdering anyone," he replied, rolling his eyes despite the way his smirk widened. "I just find it really funny how you're experiencing what I did so late in life,"

"Wait... what?"

Levi slouched a bit and propped his head up on his hand, continuing lowly, "There were times where I'd really wish I had the ability to predict my stepfather's actions, and all of those attempts failed miserably. I'm not against you on this, brat, but I'm not for you, either. The first two deaths were sudden and understandable, but starting with Mina, I knew something was wrong. These deaths don't have a connection, and I sure as hell don't believe that you're a curse or whatever the hell you call yourself nowadays,"

"... They do have a connection," Eren mused, bringing his fist up to his lips and idly chewing on his thumb. "They should have one, at least... everyone that's died was either a friend of mine or familiar with me..."

This was the first time Eren gave Levi something to process. He shifted his gaze away from the brunette and over to his desk, locking on a pencil that was out of its place (which he strongly had the urge to put away). "Whether they knew your name or not, they all died, and I haven't been around them long enough to know who they hang out with and who they hate. But... now that I think of it... two people died every time,"

"Not every time..." Eren mumbled, not caring if Levi was able to hear him or not. "... Mylius died alone... and Marco did, too..."

That reminded him of something; the coincidence of Marco dying right after he wrote it into his novel was terrifying to him, and he was afraid to even think about it. Now may or may not be the right time to bring it up, but considering the fact that even Levi was taking the time to link the deaths together, it would be helpful. Yet... that has nothing to do with their supposed murders. As Eren sunk lower into his thoughts, he was brought back into the real world as the taste of iron attacked his taste buds and a painful burning sensation roared from his fist. His eyes widened as he came to the realization that he sunk his teeth into his fist, and at that second he unlocked his jaw and let go with a gasp. Blood oozed out of the teeth marks made around the joint of his thumb, trailing down to his wrist. Levi instantly stood from the bed to help, but Eren shook his head and wiped the blood off on his shirt, wrapping his pulsing hand in the soft material.

Ignoring Levi's reproachful look, he continued, "There's just something about Marco that was out of place... it's probably just my _superstition,_ like you say..."

The raven sat back down on the bed, reluctantly edging his concern away when he saw Eren momentarily unwrap his fist to reveal the bloodstained wounds. They weren't deep, for the blood flow was already starting to ease down. But even so, they'd have to clean it up before it got infected. "Well, who cares if it's just superstition we're relying on at this point? If you think there's something different with Marco's death, then spit it out,"

Eren thought for a moment and stuttered, "W- Well... it's just that... when Marco died, I -"

He was interrupted with an impatient knock on the door. Eren flinched while Levi rolled his eyes and called, "What is it?"

His mother's muffled voice issued from the closed door, "Dinner's ready, sweetie!"

Dull footsteps were heard walking away from the door as Eren reached for he stack of notes that had been long forgotten, setting them down atop of his binder. So much for figuring things out that night. If anything, he could be over thinking a lot of things, but even so, dropping the matter of the deaths that had occurred in their school wasn't an option. Then again... no one died yet. _Yet._

On their way to the dining room, Levi gave his lover a nudge and said, "You know that could get infected, right?"

Eren stared at the teeth marks on his hand (which had already stopped bleeding) and lightheartedly replied, "You can kiss it and make it better,"

As much as Levi disapproved of this, he gripped Eren's hand and pressed a kiss to the wound, growling, "There, happy?"

"Yup!"

They entered the dining room, only to see that Lauren had set up seats for all three of them. Her silky hair was held up in a messy bun and she had already changed out of her business suit into a comfortable t-shirt, jacket, and sweat pants. She was talking on the phone when Eren and Levi walked in, which she took no mind to. They took their seats across from each other as Lauren rummaged through the cupboard for an extra plate, and out of curiosity, Eren listened in to her conversation. Judging by the playful insults and casual talk, Erwin was on the phone. Their plates were already set up on the table, both having an equal amount of rice, peas, and chicken.

Hanging up the phone, she sat down next to Levi with her own plate, sighing heavily, "So, boys, how was your day?"

"Good," they replied in unison, picking up their utensils to start eating.

As Eren shoveled a spoonful of rice into his mouth, Lauren's concerned voice addressed him with a question; "Eren, what happened to your hand?"

On instinct, he swallowed the rice even though he hardly chewed, ignoring the uncomfortable lump that trailed down his esophagus. He retracted his injured hand and waved it off by saying, "A dog bit me,"

"It looks new, and we don't have any dogs," Lauren pressed, making Levi hide a smirk behind the back of his hand.

Eren's green eyes met Lauren's as he reassured, "It's nothing, really. Just a scratch,"

Even after he said that, he failed to catch himself as he took the liberty to stare at the blind eye that ceased to show life despite it 'looking' directly at him. After a few seconds, he cleared his throat and looked away, mentally slapping himself for doing something so rude.

Lauren sighed and set her spoon aside, gently saying, "You know you're not the only one that questioned why I'm half-blind,"

As Eren burst into a trail of apologies, Levi and his mother rolled their eyes in unison, almost identical grins etched on their lips. Their similarity could have been scary if this had been the first time Eren saw Levi's mother. With a vivid blush on his cheeks, he mumbled, "I'm just... curious, that's all,"

While Levi leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table, Lauren waved a dismissive hand and said, "It's nothing to worry about! It came from an accident I had a few years ago,"

Pushing his embarrassment aside, Eren asked, "You weren't born with a blind eye?"

"No, but if I was, adjusting would have been so much easier," she hummed, continuing softly, "I got into an argument with one of my co-workers, and the verbal fight ended up turning into a physical one,"

The two ravens exchanged quick glances when Eren looked away and muttered, "I didn't think that happened, I'm sorry,"

"There's nothing to be sorry about, sweetie!" she laughed.

Levi shook his head and failed to catch his tongue as he sighed, "They're all crazy bitches,"

"Crazier than me?" Lauren asked, pushing aside her discomfort by her son's language.

"Worse than you and Hanji, I think,"

A small smile spread across Eren's lips as he returned to eating his food, his heart momentarily aching as the memories of his mother flashed across his eyes. Despite feeling slightly covetous of Levi and Lauren's relationship, he greatly approved of how close they were.

**o0o0o0o**

_(The next day)_

_(Afternoon)_

Eren sighed as he watch the clock hit three o'clock, the dull ticking sound of the time slowly passing by making him drowsy. He decided to stay after school and wait for Levi, who had to stay after to attend a Student Government meeting. Armin absentmindedly played with his hair with one hand while the other held a comic book open in his lap, his expression neutral besides the usual spark of interest in his eyes every now and then. Leaning back in his seat, he watched as Armin looked up from his comic book to scan the quiet office, his eyes landing on the secretary and watching as she typed away on her computer, idly pushing her glasses further up the bridge of her nose. After another minute of typing, her hand moved from the keyboard to the mouse, clicking a few options on the computer before the printer a few desks away lit up. A muffled shuffling sound was heard as the office helper shifted a few papers into place next to the printer, impatiently waiting for the machine to print out the new paper.

It surprised them greatly to see that Annie had applied to be an office helper that year. She hated working with other people, but then again, she also hated large crowds and ignorant students, so associating her with something a bit more relaxed may have been a good thing. Her blue eyes scanned the paper as she walked over to Rico, handing it over with a mildly interested look. She gave Eren and Armin a small nod, mouthing the word 'schedule' as she stalked off into the depths of the office. As soon as she walked out of sight, Rico snapped her fingers, gaining there attention.

"I contacted the vice-president of Student Government, and she said the meeting had been adjourned thirty minutes ago," Rico informed them when they reached the desk. "Your friend is either staying after to help her put away decorations or he already left. By the way, Jaeger, you have a new schedule. The changes won't be effective until Monday,"

Eren silently cursed the school as he gripped his new schedule, his eyes scanning through his schedule to see which classes were replaced. To his greatest relief, he saw that his two electives merely swapped places. Rico dismissed them as she packed up her work and slung her bag over her shoulder, giving them both a friendly smile as they left the office. The heat instantly hit them as they walked towards the student parking lot, making Eren regret leaving the air-conditioned room. A few seconds later, Rico slipped out of the office with her paperwork in one hand and her purse in the other, yawning as she jerked her head to get her bangs out of her face. She was tired and wanted to go home, just like them.

Armin readjusted his binder in one arm so he could reach back into his pocket to pull out his phone, curiously asking, "Do you think Levi forgot he told us to wait for him?"

"I don't know," Eren sighed, watching as Armin gave the time on his phone a tired look. "He said he needed to talk to us about something right after. Must be important if it's not over the phone..."

"It's not like him," Armin mused. "He's been... _different_ lately,"

"What do you mean?"

Armin bit his lip, debating whether to tell Eren about Levi's change in nature or not. Sensing that Eren's questioning eyes were on him, he shrugged and hummed, "He looked sick this morning. I think he stayed up late to study for that biology test,"

Eren grimaced at the mention of the test he took earlier in his AP Biology class, muttering bitterly, "That test was made by Satan. I don't like AP classes anymore,"  
The blonde nudged him with his elbow to gain his attention, pointing over towards the front gates leading into the school. Hanji and Ilse were both talking to one of the AP science teachers, with Hanji conversing vividly and Ilse wearing a broad smile on her face, a small notebook clutched to her chest as usual. The teacher laughed and tilted her head over to the office, slightly gesturing to the stack of paperwork in her hand. They walked over to the office and disappeared, and if Eren saw correctly, Ilse was hastily writing something in her notebook until Hanji gripped her hand and guided her into the building.

Seeing this made Armin squeal, "I ship them!"

Eren pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned, "Armin, this is_ not_ the time,"

While they conversed on completely unrelated topics to what they started with, Armin unlocked his car and threw their backpacks and binders into the back seat. Eren slipped into the passenger's seat and curiously nudged the side mirror, adjusting it to see new angles and watching as Armin crawled into the back seat to put his comic book back in his bag (which, surprisingly, he forgot to do earlier). When he slammed the door shut, he met Eren's eye through the side mirror, and with a small blush, he hurried around the car into the front seat.

"Don't watch me, you freak!" Armin snapped, glaring at the brunette as he laughed freely and returned the mirror back into its original place.

Seeing that it had already hit forty past three o'clock, Eren noticed that the parking lot was nearly empty. There were a few cars, but besides that, there was close to nothing there. The place felt deserted, even if there were stray students walking off campus and teachers entering the office. It wasn't his first time being on campus an hour after school ended, but something felt... off. Was it because Levi wasn't with him? Off in the distance, Luke and Dita waved each other goodbye as Luke started to cross the road.

"You'd think they'd tell us that they went on hiatus instead of just leaving their story untouched for weeks," Armin growled angrily, turning a corner to exit the parking lot. "I swear that cliffhanger freaking -"

His sentence was interrupted as a screech was heard, and Armin's observing eyes instantly flicked towards that direction as he stopped the car. Eren felt his heart thud painfully against his chest as a car sped right past them, the blur being much too close to them for comfort. A few more inches into the road and they would have been killed. The car that sped by them was a slick, black car that looked very familiar to him...

Armin's squeak was barely heard in his ears; "Jesus Christ..."

In the distance, Luke was halfway across the road, but his reaction towards the car speeding towards him was too slow. A muffled cry was heard as the car collided into him, the sound of breaking glass ringing through their ears and the sight of blood making them want to gag. They've seen much more than regular teenagers should. Luke's body remained stuck to the car (which was still in motion), his large eyes unresponsive and a heavy stream of blood pouring out of his mouth. Another screech was heard, and this time, the vehicle crashed into the fencing that was placed around the school, breaking through the wire and inflicting heavier wounds onto Luke, who was most likely dead already. The car parked closest to that part of the fencing was demolished it came into brutal contact with the first, the unusually loud sound of breaking glass and metal making Eren flinch. Dark gray smoke issued from the wreckage and black tire tracks were seen on the road and sidewalk, and worst of all, Dita experienced it all.

Eren slapped his hands over his ears as Dita screamed in fear and in a futile demand for his friend back, breathing heavily, "Where's Levi?"

Armin ignored him and returned his attention to the road, muttering, "... I c- can't..."

Eren's eyes widened significantly as he slapped Armin on the forearm, yelling angrily, "Where the hell do you think you're going?! We need to help them! Armin, _answer me_ -"

The blonde removed one hand from the steering wheel and thrust it into his pocket, pulling out his phone and throwing it at Eren, who barely caught it. "C- Call the p-p- police..."

"What, and that will make things better?!" he flared, staring back at the wreckage that he was slowly loosing sight of. "We need to help! Luke died, we -"

"E- Exactly!" Armin screeched, tears threatening to pour out of the corner of his eyes. "He's d- dead, Eren! Call the police! We n- need to leave! _Now!_"

The brunette was about to protest, but Armin slammed his foot against the brake and rolled down his window, unbuckling his seat belt to hang his head out the window and heave. The sound of him coughing and retching made Eren grit his teeth; he didn't want to see Armin's reaction. It hurt too much for that.

"A- Are you -"

Armin cut him off with a hoarse squeak, "Eren, that was _Levi's car!_"

* * *

**Extra Note:** I'm going on a two week hiatus. I can't get any inspiration and everything I've written lately has been horrible. I'll be back as good as new, I promise~


	22. Clarity

**Note:** Do you guys not believe in Levi? Nyahaha, I'm probably the reason why you don't! I've finally returned with really fun things like gore, cliff hangers, character deaths, porn, and so much more~ Did you miss me?

**Disclaimer:** When I first saw you, I looked for a signature, because every masterpiece has one.

* * *

_**Chapter Twenty-two; Clarity**_

"Armin, he's not answering me!"

Eren tried his hardest not to hyperventilate as he pressed the call button under Levi's name, watching as Armin shakily pulled his car keys out if its socket. This had been the ninth time he's called Levi, and he's gained no response whatsoever. There was no call back, no text asking what's wrong – nothing that would prove that Levi wasn't in that wreckage. It took Eren a moment to notice that they were already parked outside of his home, but instead of opening the door and giving Armin a vivid 'goodbye', he merely hung up the phone in mid-ring to try again. Hastily pressing a thumb on the green button and bringing it up to his ear, he bit his lip and blinked furiously in an attempt at keeping his tears at bay.

"He's busy," Eren reasoned to himself, his fist gradually starting to shake with each ring. "Or he's taking a nap because of that damned biology t- test, right?"

"... Eren -"

"- Maybe his phone died," Eren breathed heavily. "He got his phone taken away by Erwin... or did I do something really bad that made him ignore me...?"

"Eren -"

"What if he dropped his phone and it broke? T-T- That makes sense -"

"Eren, Levi didn't survive that c- crash!" Armin finally cut in, his voice cracking towards the end of his sentence. "No one could s- survive that! H- he's de-"

"- _He's not dead!_" Eren practically screeched, weaving his fingers through his hair and tugging with frustration when he was taken to Levi's voice mail. "He's not dead! He c- can't be dead! He isn't -"

"- He's dead, and there's nothing you can do about it!" Armin interrupted, tears leaking out of their restraints. "I don't w- want to believe it either, b- but face it,_ Levi was s- suicidal!_"

Those last three words seemed to ring loudly in Eren's ears. _Levi was suicidal_. A sound like breaking glass accompanied those words. His body seemed to weigh ten times heavier and his heart slowed from a steady beat to painful throbs. It couldn't be true. Instead of saying anything, he idly opened the door with one frigid hand, completely ignoring Armin's depressed goodbye. Slamming the door shut, he walked with heavy feet up the driveway and reached out to knock on the front door, but it swung open before his knuckles even came into contact with it. Mikasa's usually cold gray eyes were filled with worry, her expression clearly defining her concern.

"Are you okay?" Mikasa asked, gripping Eren's shoulders in a comforting manner.

Eren processed this for a moment before looking back over his shoulder, and when he saw Armin's apologetic look, he turned back to Mikasa and replied, "... I'm fine..."

"Are you sure?"

His throat tightened as a lump formed in his throat, and not trusting himself to speak without breaking down, he pulled his adoptive sister into a tight embrace. Mikasa pressed an amiable kiss to his cheek and reassured him with soft croons, her own heart seeming to shatter when Eren shakily gasped and tightened his arms around her. Eren was grateful to have Mikasa; even if they may not agree on a few things, she learned how to comfort him and calm him down, and right now was the perfect time to display what she's learned through experience. She studied the few months Eren spent agonizing over his mother's death, and during that time, her over protective nature was accompanied by a much more comforting one. When he heard the sound of Armin's car roaring back into life, he pulled away from Mikasa and bit his lip, blinking furiously to keep back the tears.

Mikasa gripped onto her scarf as she quietly asked, "Do you want to go up to your room?"

When Eren nodded, the raven pulled the scarf off, ignoring the way it burned the nape of her neck from how careless she was. She wrapped the scarf around Eren's neck, addressing the confused green eyes with a faint smile.

"You need this much more than I do right now, and I have Armin's," Mikasa stated with her usually monotonous voice, her smile widening when she added, "I did say I'd return the favor one day,"

"You're the best," Eren muttered shakily, stepping past her in a hasty beeline towards his room.

Every hurried step he took made him feel worse; by the time he reached his room, his vision was blurred by his thick tears, but they didn't pour just yet. He exhaled sharply as he slipped into the room and kicked the door shut, locking it with one hand while the other was pressed flat against the smooth surface. He didn't bother removing his hand from the door as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, fluidly unlocking it and typing in Levi's number.

Holding the phone up to his ear, he whispered, "Answer me, God damn it,"

As soon as he was taken to Levi's voice mail, he made a fist and banged once on the door in defeat, slumping down to his knees. He let out a breathy sob as he retracted his hand and held onto the scarf, leaning forward to press his forehead against the door. Tears poured out of the corners of his eyes as his emotions finally burst out of their restraints – frustration, fear, guilt, and regret. Only one thing came to mind; he could have prevented Levi from committing suicide in such a violent way. Now that he thought about it, Luke died as well, so doesn't that also make Levi a murderer? Eren sobbed much harder at the thought of that, his nose running and his face burning almost painfully as if it were mirroring his heart. He hasn't experienced this sort of pain in a long time.

Eren didn't know how long he spent pouring his emotions out through burning tears until a soft knock was heard right above him. He cleared his throat and sniffled, "Who is it?"

Mikasa's voice was muffled through the door; "It's me, Eren,"

He sighed and wiped the tears and snot away on his sleeve, but right before he unlocked the door, she said, "There's someone looking for you at the door,"

That would most likely be the police taking him in for questioning. He _was _a witness, after all. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but considering the fact that Eren couldn't even think of his deceased lover without breaking down into tears, it was a terrible thing. He heard Mikasa's footsteps edge away from the door as he tried his hardest to calm down, sniffling heavily as he licked his chapped lips. Standing up from the floor, he readjusted the scarf (with a small blush forming on his cheeks when he saw that the material was stained with his tears) and opened the door, padding out into the hallway. When he stepped out into the living room, Mikasa brushed past him with a soft growl, completely avoiding his questioning gaze. The front door was wide open and their visitor was standing just over the threshold.

Jade-green eyes sparked brightly with renewed life as they met with silver-gray.

**o0o0o0o**

Erwin groaned inwardly when he stepped out of his car, slamming the door shut behind him and tucking his car keys away in his back pocket. Flashes of red and blue were hardly visible due to the sunlight, and surrounding the area were parked police cars, officers conversing with detectives, curious passersby (who were immediately whisked away), and people they considered witnesses. The scene was blocked off with yellow tape, and he wondered why the hell no one called him earlier. Pixis had already arrived and was talking to one of the police officers, and next to him was Hanji, who had a smart phone clutched in one hand. At the sight of him, Hanji muttered something to Pixis and hurried off, briskly pushing her glasses further up the bridge of her nose.

"What happened?" Erwin asked, watching as Hanji flicked her thumb across the phone screen with an irritated face.

"Pixis didn't tell me much, but apparently, someone disabled the brakes and the car went out of control," she growled, frustratingly shaking the smart phone. "And you better be happy that I managed to take Levi's phone. He's going to skin me alive for this,"

"Did you find anything?"

Hanji shook her head and handed it to Erwin. "I tried figuring out his damn password for nearly two hours. Besides locking himself out of his own phone for good and finding Eren on his lock screen, I got nothing. I just hope he remembers his email,"

Erwin sighed and slipped the phone into the pocket of his jacket, but before he let go, he felt the phone vibrate in his hand. Taking it back out, he saw that the caller ID was Eren. "... Eren wasn't here when this happened, right?"

"I think he was," Hanji replied, her voice filled with guilt. "He called about ten times straight a few minutes after the accident. Poor kid... do you think he believes Levi died in that crash?"

"It's a good thing I gave him a ride," the blonde muttered, watching the vibrating came to an abrupt stop and the screen gradually turn dull. "Did Rico survive?"

"I don't think so..."

Erwin looked up to scan the scene of the accident, but when he did, he saw a familiar face behind Hanji. He pinched the bridge of his nose and snapped dangerously, "Ymir, how many times did I tell you not to stay on campus after school?"

Her protuberant eyes widened significantly. "V-Vice-principle Erwin, s- sir!"

Ilse clutched her notebook tighter to her chest as she internally debated whether to run away or not, but Hanji rolled her eyes and said, "Her name is Ilse, not Ymir,"

With a sharp gasp, he apologized, "Oh, you're the new transfer student, aren't you? I'm sorry about that, you look a lot like another student in the school,"

"Yes, I've gotten that a few times..." Ilse sighed, her frail body slightly shaking when she continued, "Ms. Brzenska didn't make it... they say her body was crushed, along with Luke's,"

Both Hanji and Erwin hissed inwardly and looked away, whereas Ilse stared lifelessly at her notebook. She idly thumbed a few pages while Erwin took out his own phone, dialing in Lauren's number and bringing the phone up to his ear.

"Are you calling Levi's mom?" Hanji questioned. When he nodded, she added, "Ask her to pass Levi the phone. We need to tell him what happened,"

Erwin merely nodded once more, his blue eyes wandering over to the scene and locking on the paramedics. A body was laying flat on its back, covered with a slightly bloodstained white blanket that concealed everything up until the forehead. Matted silver hair was visible, and his eyes locked on that particular body. Rico was dead and no one knew how the brakes to the car she was using got disabled. When Lauren finally picked up and cheerfully greeted him, he snapped out of it and turned his back to the scene, walking off as he started his grim explanation. Hanji and Ilse were called over by Pixis, who offered them a ride home if they didn't already have one.

**o0o0o0o**

"Are you okay, Hunter?"

Eren blinked once, then twice for extra measure; he took in the full view of Levi's silver-gray eyes, normal school clothing, and forearms covered with wristbands. He bit his lip and his eyes burned with tears, and without hesitation, he flung himself towards his lover in a very tight embrace. This caught Levi by surprise, but he kept his stance as he returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around Eren's waist in a loving hold.

"G- God fucking d-d- damn it," Eren sobbed, clinging strongly onto the raven. "I th- thought you were dead,"

Levi breathed in his lover's sweet scent, muttering soothingly in response, "I heard what happened. I'm sorry if I hurt you..."

"You didn't," he sniffled, cursing himself for not being able to stop his tears from flowing.

"I'm also sorry for not telling you that I was skipping the meeting. Hanji took my damn phone and Erwin dragged me off before I could hunt her down after school. I swear, those two will be the death of me," Levi lifted his head and pressed a quick kiss to Eren's jawline, continuing with a grim voice, "Rico's car broke down and I lent her mine as a favor. Judging by what Erwin told me, it was a good thing he gave me a ride home today. If her car didn't break down, then..."

He trailed off with incoherent murmurs, his hold tightening around Eren's waist. After taking a moment to process Levi's explanation, the brunette slightly pulled back and asked with a shaky voice, "If your car is destroyed, then... how did you even get here...?"

"My mother was willing to drop me off before she went to her next meeting," Levi answered, nuzzling into the crook of Eren's neck. "But I have no phone, I left my wallet at home, and I don't remember Erwin's number. God knows how long it'll take for him to get here and pick me up,"

"You can stay the night," Eren offered, pulling back a bit to give Levi a soft peck to the lips. "I don't think Mikasa would mind,"

"Given the circumstance," he muttered bitterly. With a heavy sigh, he questioned, "Are you sure you don't mind?"

Eren sniffled and nodded vigorously. "Positive,"

Kicking the front door shut, Levi guided a sniffling Eren into the hallway by the hand. His pace momentarily faltered as Mikasa came into view, one hand holding onto her new scarf while the other was clenched into a tight fist. Their eyes sparked dangerously as they met, and without further hesitation, Levi clucked his tongue impatiently and dragged Eren along, ignoring Mikasa's death glare. Her nails threatened to tear the skin of her palm, the temptation to use her skills with the help of the oncoming adrenaline rush nearly overwhelming her being. Seeing tears running down Eren's face was something that hurts her immensely, and she knew full well the other raven was the main reason why her brother was hurting. Levi, on the other hand, was biting into his lip and clenching Eren's hand a little too tightly; the atmosphere was equally hostile around him, which made Eren a bit uncomfortable. He never understood why the two hated each other, nor did he think he'd ever find out. Or was it one-sided, and one of them is merely annoyed with the other for the harsh treatment?

As soon as the door closed behind them, Levi let out a frustrated growl and pinched the bridge of his nose. Pushing his anger aside, he turned his full attention to Eren, who sniffled and wiped his tears off on his sleeve. When their eyes met, Eren weakly smiled and placed a hand on Levi's shoulder, his eyes twinkling despite the grief and shock that still lingered in the reflection. The raven bit his lip and looked away, reluctantly gripping onto the hand that was on his shoulder and giving it a firm squeeze.

"Are you all right?"

Eren nodded and replied softly, "I'm fine... just a little shaken, that's all..."

Levi felt his throat tighten as he muttered, "... I'm sorry if I hurt you..."

"You didn't," his lover promptly stated, "I'm the one that jumped to conclusions. It's not your fault that the brakes on your car got disabled,"

"But why they were disabled is something I want to know..." after a short pause, Levi continued with a breathy chuckle, "Do you think I'm the next one to die?"

"No, you're not!" Eren gripped both of his shoulders and gave him a gentle shake, which reunited their firm gaze. "You're not dying anytime soon, Levi! I won't let them take you!"

"Or rather, you won't let _it_ take me," he huffed with a silent laugh. "If I'm not murdered, I'd die in some sort of accident. Judging by what we've seen so far, that's going to hurt. A lot. Not that I mind the pain,"

This brought tears back into Eren's eyes. "I'm not losing you. I know I can't change anything and I know I can't erase what happened between you and your step dad. But even so, you're not going to get killed before I do. You've been protecting me this whole time, and I can honestly return the favor,"

"You're risking your life for the wrong person," Levi growled, his eye twitching with anger. "If anything, I deserve to die for the shit I've done,"

Eren shook his head , his voice shaking as he added; "No one deserves to die. You didn't do anything horrible. You're not a murderer, Levi, but I am,"

It took strength for Levi not to laugh at this. Keeping a straight face, he asked, "You murdered someone before?"

The brunette shifted his gaze to the floor, his hold on Levi's shoulders softening greatly. "... A few years ago. Dad brought me with him to a doctor's visit so I can meet Mikasa, but her house was torn apart on the inside and her parents were dead. Whoever murdered them didn't even bother cleaning up,"

He felt Levi momentarily tense at these words, but he continued anyways, "I decided to play hero and go looking for her while Dad called the police, and the funny thing was, they took Mikasa to the abandoned house at the end of the cul-de-sac next door. I... I killed t- three people then... and a- another one later on that day..."

"... How old were you?"

Grief clawed at Eren's heart as he answered, "I was nine, and so was Mikasa,"

It took him by full surprise when Levi wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling him into a loving embrace. "That was years ago, and guess what? That proves you really are the hunter,"

"You're impossible," Eren laughed weakly, nuzzling into Levi's hair. "But... seriously, Levi... I murdered four people... that took a lot to cover up..."

"It's easier than you think," his lover responded carelessly, immediately regretting doing so the second after.

"What do you mean?" Eren asked, his hold around Levi momentarily loosening.

"Well, that's my guess," Levi sighed. "I mean, people have gotten away with murder before, so I assumed covering it up was easier that it looks,"

The brunette bit his lip and murmured, "Everyone thinks that... but it's not true..."

Levi pressed a soft kiss to Eren's cheek. "That all happened a long ass time ago, don't worry so much about it. It already happened and there's not much you could do about it now,"

"That's true..." taking a small moment to think, Eren added, "I know this is off topic, but... you don't act the age you're supposed to be,"

"What, should I act more like a brat and cry over not having the latest technology?" Levi snorted.

"Well, you already have the latest technology, so that wouldn't work," he snapped bitterly. "But... not a lot of teenagers act the way you do. I guess it's just your maturity that gives it away,"

"If it was that, you would have guessed my age around the time Armin did," Levi said, pulling away from the embrace and gripping onto the scarf that was wrapped around Eren's neck. "But now that we got all of that out of our system; why are you wearing your sister's scarf?"

Eren unwrapped it from around his neck and gave it a thankful look. "She lent it to me for a while. I know this sounds stupid, but it's really comforting,"

Levi kept his jealousy in check and pulled it out of Eren's hands, pointing out the tear stains as he said, "It'd be rude if you gave it back to her like this. You could wash it for her, or better yet, take a damn shower,"

The brunette rolled his eyes and lightheartedly insulted, "Clean freak,"

"Not my fault you're a disgusting brat," Levi retorted.

Giving into Levi's stern look, he snatched Mikasa's scarf with a growl, walking over to his dresser. While Eren rummaged through a drawer for a pair of matching socks, he asked, "Are you comfortable with staying here while I shower?"

"Wouldn't it be easier if I joined in?" Levi purred, smirking at Eren's vivid blush.

"Seriously, Levi!" Eren snapped, kicking his drawer shut and readjusting the small pile of clean clothes in his arms. "I'm just a bit... worried, that's all..."

Levi leaned back against the desk and sighed, "Well, that's reasonable, I guess. After all the things that went on earlier,"

Eren looked over to him and exhaled deeply, mentally and emotionally exhausted with everything that happened so far. The near-death experiences, the gore, manslaughter... it's a miracle his sanity didn't shatter already. Or was he ever sane? The way Levi's eyes sparked silver with interest, the way he'd silently judge people with a highly skeptical look, the smirk displayed nicely on his thin lips... why was Levi his clarity? The brunette gave him a warm smile and left with the door slightly open, trusting his lover not to destroy his room while he was gone (or rather, organize everything to where he couldn't find his belongings).

Levi idly listened to Eren's dull footsteps as they walked away from the room, and after they were completely gone, he lifted his head and scanned the room. Through all of the crumpled papers, pencil shavings, discarded clothing, and textbooks, he spotted something that certainly caught his attention; a hunting knife, polished and finely sharpened. Despite the strong urge to clean up the mess that lay before him, he left his place on the desk with a curious raise of the eyebrow. The weapon was carelessly lying beside the dresser – it was most likely knocked over when Eren rushed out of his room that morning. He gripped onto the glossy handle and brought it up to inspect, a dark part of him itching with excitement at the sight of the blade. He applied minor pressure to the pad of his thumb, and as expected, it ripped the skin and brought up a decent amount of blood.

Instead of pocketing the knife like he wanted to, he set it back down where he found it and cleared his throat. He felt a dull prickle at the back of his throat, which made him slightly grimace in discomfort. After everything that happened, he now had to worry about dehydration. Just great. Giving the weapon one last calculating scan, he left the room, taking an extra moment to inch over the threshold as a necessary precaution. He wouldn't want to run into Mikasa, because he knows full well that without Eren there, all hell will break loose.

Padding out into the kitchen, he felt a small chill run down his spine and his stomach faintly lurched. His eyes darkened as they scanned over the living room; gore and the faces of people whom he faintly recognized flashed in his mind. On instinct, he growled and pulled away, covering his eyes with one hand while proceeding into the small kitchen area. The house was unusually quiet as he rummaged around for a cup and filled the glass with water, bringing it up to his chapped lips. The feeling of cold water running down his parched throat made his muscles ease a bit and his throat unclench. It's been a long day. While he set his glass aside, he felt a sharp prickle at the nape of his neck and his instinct lurch. He spun about just in time to stop the cold end of a blade from coming into painful contact with his throat. However, the price for saving his life was getting a deep laceration on the palm of his hand. He tightened his hold around the blade anyways.

"You little bitch," Levi growled, meeting Mikasa's equally narrowed eyes.

"I didn't think you'd be this bad. Must have thought as much since you ran from Kenny for so long," Mikasa deadpanned. "What, daddy didn't treat you well?"

"Do you really think living with that asshole is easy? Compared to me, you're hopeless. You wouldn't have lasted a day in my shoes," he let out a dark chuckle and added, "You also wouldn't have lasted any longer if Eren didn't show up that day. Don't pretend like you don't know. But you probably weren't tight enough for their shitty taste, anyways,"

"That's not something you can joke about," she snarled, applying much more pressure and digging the blade further into his hand.

Despite the burning pain, he hissed bitterly, "Then don't joke about my life with Kenny. You think you've gone through hell with what his men did, but in reality, that was just a glimpse of what I've went through. If anything, I wish I had your life. A stupid, useless brat,"

Just as she was about to retract the knife and try again, Levi leaned back and reached over the counter, grabbing the handle of a stray kitchen knife and pulling it out of restraints. Despite knocking over the stand it was propped on, he whipped the knife around and pressed the sharp edge against Mikasa's throat, applying just enough pressure to draw a thin line of blood. She abruptly stopped her movements and leaned away from the knife, only to have it pressed harder against her skin.

"And you're not even aware of your surroundings, are you? He gave me five years," Levi growled, his breath ghosting over Mikasa's. "I'm going to enjoy that time, not worry about you bullshitting your way into my life. I don't want to remember anything from my past, and you're not going to change that,"

"But we used to be so close," she breathed, blood lust clear in her soft voice. "Yet you refuse to acknowledge that. Is it because you tried to murder me?"

"Is that what this is all about? Two things, _Mikasa_," the older raven spat, applying more pressure and drawing out a few droplets of blood. The crimson liquid trailed down her skin and sunk into the knitted scarf that was loosely draped around her neck, making him cringe inwardly. "One, I never tried to kill you and two, _we never had history_,"

There were dull footsteps behind them, and in that instant, they both cocked their head towards the intruder. Jade green eyes flared with anger at the sight of blood oozing from the two ravens and dripping onto the knives. They were caught red-handed by the one they love the most.

"... I can't believe you two,"

* * *

**Extra Note: **My uploading schedule may or may not be erratic from here on out.


	23. Intention

**Note:** I'm a bad person for spending more time writing fanfiction than studying or doing homework. It's a good thing I'm able to pull the needed information out of my ass at 3 AM for all five classes. It's also really good that I spend those three hours before school thinking up ways to rip out heartstrings~

**Disclaimer:** I want to stick to you like glue-cose.

* * *

_**Chapter Twenty-three; Intention**_

Eren's knuckles gradually bleached white as is nails dug into the palms of his hands, glaring dangerously at Levi and Mikasa, who instantly jumped apart. Mikasa tried to cover the wound on her neck with her scarf despite the knife still being pressed against her skin, recklessly retracting her own knife and making the other raven hiss in pain. As some sort of revenge, Levi took minor precaution to retract his, slightly deepening the cut on her neck (but not drastically so). Levi held his injured hand in a tight fist while Mikasa pressed her scarf to her neck, both ravens trying their hardest to look at anything but Eren.

Eren's bitter words were directed to Levi; "I leave you alone for a few minutes and you're already trying to slit my sister's throat,"

Despite being accused of something he didn't do, Levi started, "That's not what -"

"- Don't give me your bullshit excuses now!" Eren cut in, turning to his sister to flare, "And _you!_ You sneak into my room _and_ you used my hunting knife to go after Levi?"

"... I'm sorry about sneaking into your room..." Mikasa muttered with her usually monotonous voice, turning the knife around in her hand.

Levi huffed in a silent laugh and snapped under his breath, "But you're not sorry for stabbing my hand. That's very nice,"

"I should have cut it off completely," she hissed.

Before the two started to bicker, Eren caught their attention by growling, "I don't give a damn who started it. I'm always kept in the fucking dark and you're going to tell me why whether you like it or not,"

When the ravens made eye contact with him, he added darkly, "It's either that, or you two get out. I'm not going to deal with this anymore,"

"And how can a brat like you do that?" Levi mocked, instantly regretting doing so when his lover gave him a bitter glare. He's never seen that look in Eren's eyes before – well, towards him, he hasn't.

"I'm violent when I really want to be," the brunette stated quietly.

He was about to counteract his statement with a sarcastic remark like every other time, but judging by the murderous look, he stayed quiet. He's heard those words come out of Armin's mouth before, as well, and he'd rather not take any chances. Not at a time like this.

After a small pause dragged by, Eren folded his arms over his chest and impatiently snapped, "Well?"

Mikasa and Levi made very brief eye contact, but before Mikasa pulled away, Levi grinned and muttered lowly (so Eren wouldn't hear), "Don't you always have a way to get out of these situations,_ princess?_"

Mikasa's eye twitched and she looked away, a flustered blush forming on her cheeks. Ignoring Levi's smirk, she processed the situation for another moment and looked up at Eren. Her dark gray eyes never left jade green as she answered simply, "I never liked him. It's that easy, Eren,"

"I'm asking you why!" Eren practically screeched, taking a threatening step forward.

They nearly flinched at this. Keeping her stoic facade, Mikasa continued, "I took the knife I gave you because I wanted to intimidate him, but things didn't turn out as well as they could have, hence the reason why he has another scar to add with the rest,"

Levi momentarily unclenched his fist to stare at the deep laceration, grimacing as blood oozed from the wound. His curious silver eyes watched as Mikasa straightened up a bit, embarrassment barely being masked in her words; "I never wanted him in our life. I don't want him in the house and I certainly don't want him around you,"

Eren sighed deeply and started, "That doesn't make -"

"- I'm losing my little brother!" Mikasa cut in with a frustrated hiss.

The brunette was taken by full surprise. He knew Mikasa can be brutally honest, but he never thought she'd go to the extent of swallowing her pride to express her darkest secret. His slightly whited eyes left her own and stared at the floor, and Mikasa took this as a signal to leave. She threw the bloodied knife onto the counter and briskly walked past him, but before she left the room, she abruptly stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder. Levi questioningly raised a brow at this, but he instantly understood when she furiously mouthed the words, '_you owe me_'. Levi brushed her off with a curt not, and with that, she finally left, tucking her chin into her scarf.

Eren shook his head and growled under his breath, "I can't believe it,"

"... Hunter?"

When silver-gray met with jade-green, Eren muttered through gritted teeth, "Go clean that up,"

Levi's betrayed his unimpressed mask as he gave his lover an apologetic look. Eren smiled weakly and added with the same tone, "Now,"

It's surprising how easily Eren could forgive someone like that, or how fast it took him to calm down (but that, however, varied on the situation). The raven hastened out of the room to go clean and bandage the throbbing wound in his hand, and as he did so, his mind wandered onto different levels. That knife could do a lot of damage if used correctly... would Eren ever have to use it against him? That lone thought scared him a lot more than it should have.

**o0o0o0o**

Levi stared out the window with a murderous look on his face, watching various students gossip animatedly as they walked by. After spending a few minutes searching the spotless office for something to stare at, he settled for the window, but that did him absolutely no good. It just made him yearn to get out of this damned room. There were minor chills running down his spine, partially because of the air conditioner being on and he didn't have his sweater, but he knew that wasn't the reason why. He felt Erwin's eyes bore into the side of his head as he refused to converse, one leg crossed over the other and his arms stubbornly folded over his chest. He kept his injured hand held in a tight fist, the pain dulled by the pressure. The previous night was hell and the morning wasn't any different. Having to deal with Erwin every morning until he got his car fixed (or bought a new one to save the time) was the worst thing he could ever imagine. Erwin leaned forward on his desk and sighed, weaving his fingers together to prop his head up.

The corner of Levi's eye twitched as Erwin said, "Ignoring me isn't going to get you out of here anytime soon,"

Seeing that Levi wasn't going to reply, he added, "I can stay here all day, you know. And you don't have anyone else to give you a ride,"

"I'll figure something out," Levi spat bitterly, the furrow in his brow deepening.

"Just like you figured out a story to cover up your scars?" amusement was clear in Erwin's voice as he continued, "Why do you have a bandage around your hand, again? Oh, that's right – a dog bit you,"

"What happened is none of your fucking concern!" the raven snarled viciously, glaring at Erwin.

He straightened up in his seat and sighed, "You really need to watch your mouth, Levi. It doesn't matter if we're related, I'm still the vice-principle and you're in my office for a really good reason. It'd be wise to show some respect, you know,"

Levi deadpanned slowly, "I don't care,"

After a small pause, Erwin mused, "To think you'd purposely scar yourself _again,_ even while you're at your boyfriend's house for the evening. You could have at least done a better job at hiding it before I picked you up,"

"I didn't do it on my own," Levi unfolded his arms stood up in his seat, the atmosphere dropping to a much more frigid degree as Erwin followed in suit. "Eren's already iffy with me because of it, but it's not because I stabbed my own Godforsaken hand,"

"Then tell me, Levi. Who was it?" the blonde paused for a moment before asking, "This doesn't involve Kenny, does it?"

"No, it doesn't!"

With that said, Levi kicked his chair aside and made a beeline for the door, but Erwin got to him before his hand wrapped around the doorknob. He grunted in discomfort as Erwin pinned him against the door, holding one arm behind his back while his free hand fruitlessly scratched at the wood.

The raven thrashed in his grip, angrily barking, "Let me go!"

"Calm down," Erwin stated simply.

After a few minutes of fighting a losing battle, Levi banged his fist against the door and panted for his breath, his body aching with fatigue. Erwin had minor difficulty trying to hide the fact that he was a bit tired from holding Levi down – he never knew his nephew had that kind of strength. He was caught off guard, but not drastically so.

Erwin momentarily tightened his grip as he asked, "Are you done yet?"

Levi rest his forehead against the door and quietly muttered, "Let me go already,"

He grabbed Levi's free arm and lightheartedly replied, "As you wish,"

Erwin spun him about and switched places, finally letting go of his bruising hold and leaning back against the wooden door. After locking it, he folded his arms over his chest and gave Levi an impatient look, who growled dangerously and took a few steps back as if to create some sort of distance. He bit his lip and shifted from one foot to the other, his silver eyes switching from one item to the other before he gave up and looked Erwin directly in the eye.

"What do you want?" the raven asked, his voice eerily monotonous.

Erwin slipped a hand into his pocket and slipped out a very familiar smart phone that made Levi grit his teeth. "I want you to unlock your phone,"

Feeling his self control start to shatter, Levi forced through his clenched jaw, "Why?"

"Various reasons,"

This only made him sneer. "And if I don't?"

"You'll regret it," Erwin stated simply, a cheeky smile etched shallowly on his lips. "You know me, Levi. Do you really want to find out?"

Levi merely clenched his fists and turned away, muttering bitterly, "Give me an hour,"

"- Can't do that,"

"Thirty minutes,"

"- Nope,"

"Fifteen,"

"- I'm not giving you any time,"

"Why not?" Levi demanded. "Why do you even want my damned phone?"

"Various reasons,"

The way he repeated that in such a lighthearted manner made the raven want to uppercut the woman that instructs his Student Government class. He looked up at the clock hung up on the wall and clucked his tongue; there was only twenty minutes until the bell rang. That meant he had twenty minutes to either find a way out of there or suffer the lectures he'll get on their way home. Instead of fixing the chair that he kicked aside, Levi leaned back against the desk, taking a very mild note about the pencil holder next to him (and it held much more than just pencils).

"Well?" Levi said, "I'm waiting,"

Erwin nodded towards his nephew's wristbands and asked quietly, "Why do you have those on?"

Levi rolled his eyes, setting a hand behind him on the desk to support himself. "Like you don't already know,"

"But I'd like to know more," Erwin said, not breaking eye contact with Levi as he added, "What made you do that to yourself?"

"I'm frustrated and I hate people, especially you,"

As patient as Erwin was, he couldn't stop his eye from twitching with major disapproval. That wasn't an answer, it was a _reply_. His blue eyes darkened as he willed himself to question, "Does he still haunt you?"

"I don't believe in ghosts," Levi stated with a bored tone.

"Not like that," the blonde hesitated for a moment, but he covered up that hesitation with his calm yet stern voice by continuing lowly, "I know the wounds on your skin may have healed a long time ago, but mentally and emotionally, you're still bruised pretty badly,"

A dull glint in the corner of Levi's eye caught his attention, and he knew full well what it was. His heart raced a bit with oncoming adrenaline, his anger starting to rise again while he deadpanned, "And what makes you think any of my problems concern you?"

Erwin merely shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I'm pretty concerned because my nephew is suicidal and I'm not sure whether it's because of your mommy issues or because 'daddy' dearest used you as a toy for so many years,"

The hand that was behind Levi's back slowly inched towards the pair of scissors that was partially hidden by an opened envelope. He asked with an abnormally breathy voice, "And what do you mean by that, my dear, sweet uncle?"

"What I mean is that I don't want to be kept in the dark. I know what he did to you, Levi. I've always known about the explicit ways he used you, and the real reason why your biological father joined the Titans in the first place,"

Right when Levi got a firm grip on the smooth handle of the scissors, he saw Erwin's eye momentarily flicker towards the window before returning back to him. That caught his very mild interest, but when he looked out the window, he sighed; Eren was fitting the large orange vest on his shoulders with a thin binder clutched to his side. Erwin watched in disbelief as Levi's posture softened and his eyes spark a brighter shade of silver. It was so surreal; to think that Levi can be calmed down so easily by his lover. That was something important to take note of. He's only seen that happen once before, and guilt was a very strong emotion to feel in this type of situation.

Levi's attention quickly snapped back to Erwin as he watched his uncle step away from the door, unlocking it and allowing it to creak open. At the sight of Levi's skeptical look, he said, "You have about fifteen minutes left of class. Meet me back here when the bell rings,"

After taking another moment to highly judge his uncle, Levi slipped out of the office with a shiver, his hand feeling empty away from the cold touch of the scissors. It could have been so useful, and so_ fun_ to use. What he found really odd was that Annie was nearby the office filing a few papers into the filing cabinet, taking an extra moment to scan over a certain one before pulling it out of its drawer. She abruptly stopped in her movements; they briefly made eye contact, silver meeting an abnormally cold blue. She nodded in acknowledgement and pushed the last draw shut with her hip, stalking past him a thin binder and small stack of papersloosely held in her hand.

Noticing that he wasn't following after her, Annie stopped in her tracks and asked with an unimpressed voice, "Well, are you just going to stand there or are you going back to class?"

He merely hummed and walked out towards the front desk with her, his shoulders relaxing at the sight of his lover smiling brightly at him. Levi greeted Eren with a quick hug, watching out of the corner of his eye as Annie forced herself to talk to a fellow office helper. Said office helper brushed her off with a lighthearted wave of the hand, pulling on a red vest as he stepped around the front desk and ventured off into the nearest hallway. Levi mentally praised Annie for muttering something about hating stupid teenagers under her breath.

While she padded off to find a pack of sticky notes, Eren asked quietly, "So, how was your day?"

"It could be better," Levi replied with a yawn. "I mean, besides me having to walk you back to class in a little, I guess the day's been all right,"

"You're not walking me back to class," Eren rolled his eyes and added, "You look really tired, too. Are you sure you're all right?"

"I could be better," he repeated.

Eren folded his arms over his chest at how stubborn his lover was being. "You know, you should get away from home for once and cool off for a while,"

A grimace broke Levi's unimpressed mask with a skeptical growl, "What, do you expect me to leave my safe haven and risk getting skin cancer at some shitty park? I don't see you going through that,"

"Maybe I haven't risked something like that because you haven't taken me out_ at all _lately. We totally should," Eren cheekily retorted.

"You're not serious," he deadpanned.

"As serious as a heart attack,"

Levi pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, "I don't like going out. The outside world is great and all, but it's dangerous and I hate everyone there,"

The brunette gave him a small pout. "You don't hate me, do you?"

"I said everyone, didn't I?"

"You jerk!"

A small grin tugged at Levi's lips. Teasing his lover like that truly was a way to get his mind off a few things. "I'll only leave the interior if you find me a place with no people whatsoever,"

Before Eren could answer, Annie's dull (yet mocking) voice cut in, "Uhm, excuse me,"

The way Annie worked so quietly actually surprised them. She was sitting in the chair with one leg crossed over the other, the thin binder laying in her lap and impatiently waiting to be taken back to its owner. "I thought that at least one of you would be the romantic one in this relationship. Can't you just go to the park or something? That will save us a lot of time here, which we really don't have. The bell rings in seven minutes,"

"Why don't we?" Eren questioned, his look hopeful. "There's a park down the street that no one really goes to. Why not there?"

"You're going to be the death of me," Levi grunted, yet he silently approved of it.

Annie sighed, "Well, now that you guys have your date nailed down, mind taking this binder and getting the fuck out of my sight?"

The last part of her sentence was a joke, and they all knew that by the sarcastic tone she bothered to add in. Eren questioned why Annie wasn't being as strict as usual. She doesn't seem impatient with them, and if anything, the faintest of smiles could be seen on her lips. Does Annie actually _approve_ of their relationship? It's very true when people say that everything is changing around them.

As soon as they left the office, Levi said, "You know I don't have a phone or a car now, right?"

A devious grin shone on Eren's lips. "Doesn't that mean you're going to depend on me for this one?"

"Like hell I am," Levi snapped, stepping aside a bit to distance themselves. Refusing the continue the topic any longer, he switched it to something he was a bit concerned about; "Also, where did Armin disappear off to? I haven't seen him around all day today,"

Eren bit his lip and muttered, "... He's sick, that's all,"

"Eren,"

Eren felt a perturbed shiver run down the spine when Levi actually said his first name. With a heavy sigh, he stammered, "He... may or may not have taken your 'death' so well..."

Levi only hummed at this, the guilt and depression clearly audible through the sound alone. Knowing Armin, the poor little guy was probably crying his eyes out into a pillow. That certainly wasn't an image he'd like to keep in his head for long.

Their conversation died at that moment, but as they turned the corner of a hallway and came into sight of their classroom's number, Levi asked, "... Do you have a ride home tomorrow?"

"Why, you actually want to go? Are you able to?"

"Erwin doesn't actually leave until three-thirty and we get out at around, what, one? That hellish park is just around the corner," the raven said, sounding a little bored as he added, "This would be so much easier if I still had my phone..."

They made it to their class as Eren asked, "Hanji doesn't still have it, does she?"

"That's a story for another day," Levi replied, ignoring Eren's pout as he knocked on the door.

There were so many stories Levi 'promised' him, it was starting to get old. But patience was a virtue, which Eren didn't really have.

**o0o0o0o**

It was already September and very faint signs of cold weather were starting to show. There was a small breeze this morning that made Eren sigh, a content smile delicately stretching across his lips. It's been so long since he's felt relaxed. It was as if he was back in his summer vacation, laying sprawled out across the grass with his adoptive sister and enjoying the way the tips of the delicate blades brushed over his skin. The very thought of Mikasa made him a bit uncomfortable; he didn't think being in a relationship would cause so many issues, especially when it concerned Mikasa. But it wasn't like he was angry at her, just confused about what he should do. Then again, girls in general are really confusing.

The school campus was illuminated by the sun, and since Eren had to show up with Mikasa forty-five minutes earlier that morning, there were hardly any students crowded around the quad. The librarian hasn't shown up yet (which was quite odd), so to pass the time, Eren merely sat in the hallway a few feet away from the door, a slightly torn and smudged notebook laying open in his lap. It contained nearly a year's worth of scribbles and ideas – he was already using up the last few pages, and he considered getting a new notebook with college-ruled paper. It'd be easier than using loose sheets of paper and sticking them into his notebook, hoping they won't fall out later on.

A familiar voice was heard above him; "Oi, Hunter, what are you doing here so early?"

Eren flinched at the sudden entrance, looking up to see Levi standing over him, his face pale and the bags under his eyes darker than usual. "Good morning to you, too. Are you all right? You don't look so good,"

"Just a bit of a stomach pain," Levi muttered in response. Eren finally noticed how his lover was slouching a bit, concern sparking in his jade-green eyes. "Don't worry about it. Probably ate something stale last night..."

With that said, he leaned back against the wall and sighed, slightly curling inward to ease the pain in his stomach. Whatever happened, Eren didn't know, but he certainly hoped there wasn't an external wound that caused the pain. He'd keep an eye out for any sign of bandages, excluding the one that was wrapped around the base of his hand. They didn't even get the chance to start up a decent conversation before they same Armin whip around the corner, his bag carelessly draped over his shoulder and his binder clutched tightly to his chest. Eren stood up to greet his childhood friend, stepping forward while Levi debated between moving or staying still. To their greatest surprise, Armin pushed Eren aside and made a beeline towards Levi, who's eyes slightly widened.

"You bastard!" Armin growled furiously, delivering a hard smack to Levi's cheek.

The sound of Armin's hand making painful contact with Levi's skin made Eren flinch. Levi left his place against the wall, his stomach burning from the sudden movement. He held his cheek with one hand and idly rubbed to soothe the abused skin, turning back to face a dangerously fuming Armin.

Awe was clear in Levi's voice as he breathed, "... Holy fuck,"

Armin bit his lip to muffle his sob, throwing his arms around Levi and giving him a hard squeeze. The embrace made Levi grunt with pain, and he wasn't sure if he should hug Armin back. He looked over the blonde's shoulder to Eren and gave him a questioning look, who shrugged and shook his head. With a small sigh, Levi slithered his arms around Armin's waist and returned he embrace, soothingly running a hand up his back. With the burning pain coming from his abdomen, he tried shifting to a more comfortable position, but that did him no good. The pain in the base of his hand didn't make the situation any better for him, either.

Levi thought for a moment and grinned as he muttered, "I didn't think you had it in you,"

"I hate you! I hate you so much!" he snapped tearfully, his hold around Levi tightening despite how bitter his words sounded.

"I hate you too, brat," the raven responded with a gentle voice.

After Armin finally started to calm down, Levi pulled away and gripped his shoulders, asking softly, "All better now?"

Armin wiped the remaining tears out of his eyes with his sleeve, nodding with a depressed 'mhm'. Eren was quite confused on what to do, idly scratching the nape of his neck. But he certainly was grateful that Levi managed to calm Armin down after a break down.

"The library isn't going to open today," Armin sniffled quietly. "The librarian isn't going to show up. I'm not sure why, though,"

"How do you know?" Levi asked, his voice a little strained as he hunched over a bit.

"Annie," he answered simply. At the sight of their questioning looks, he added, "Well, she's an office assistant, she knows a lot of what's going on. That's... also a bad thing... she mentioned something about Mr. Smith and Pixis arguing whether to close the school or not..."

"Why?" Eren instantly flared, his panic momentarily getting the best of him.

Armin sighed deeply. "What do you think has been happening around the school, Eren? The d- deaths of all these students... I wonder if my grandpa will let me go to Garrison with you..."

"That's not going to happen," Levi snapped, gaining their full attention. "It doesn't matter how many people died this past year or two. As laid back as Pixis may be, that bald fuck actually cares about the school. He wouldn't let it close down that easily. If he can spend hundreds at a bar, he can spend hundreds on fixing up the school,"

"Do you really think he'd do that...?" just as tears started to build up in the corners of Armin's eyes, he cleared his throat and shakily added, "Never mind. I think I see Jean. I'll t- talk to you two later..."

That was most likely an excuse to get away from them for awhile, which they completely understood. Watching as Armin sped off, Eren turned back to Levi, who had a slightly uncomfortable look on his face.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Eren asked, wrapping an arm around his lover. "We can just cancel today, if you want,"

"Tomorrow then," Levi grumbled, folding his arms over his chest. "Hmph... I hate life,"

Eren gave him a quick peck to the temple and muttered, "Ditto. I wonder what get-well present I should get you,"

Levi was about to flare at the brunette, but after a second thought, he replied angrily, "Maybe you can get a damn chapter done for me tonight. It took you two weeks to write one thousand words last month, you brat. You better pull your shit together,"

"We're barely into September!" Eren whined. At the sight of Levi's weak glare, he sighed, "... Fine,"

Starting a walk down the hallway (with minor support), Levi snorted, "I doubt you'll get to it,"

Eren's tone challenged Levi; "Just try me,"

He rolled his eyes and said sarcastically, "You have until tomorrow morning,"

Being the very lazy writer he is, Eren debated between dropping the little 'challenge' or not. Well... a few cups of coffee won't hurt.

**o0o0o0o**

_(The next day)_

Levi's eyes sped through each sentence, taking in Eren's unique writing style and vivid descriptions. He scrolled through the rest of the document with a highly skeptical look, muttering lowly into his fist, "I can't believe it..."

Eren groaned as he stretched his back, idly yawning, "You owe me,"

"I'm already taking you to a God forsaken park after school, that's more than enough,"

"- I was the one that suggested it first, though,"

"Yet I'm still taking you. I deserve payment,"

Eren thought for a moment and reached over to his lover, cupping his chin and turning his head to the side. Levi was caught by minor surprise as a sweet kiss was pressed to his lips. Eren pulled away and cheekily grinned, "That's your payment,"

The student in the computer desk next to Levi gave them both a small smile and continued on with her work. With a growl, Levi curled up a bit tighter in his seat and continued to scan through the document, resting his chin on his knees. The librarian was again absent that morning, instead run by a teacher and the assistant. That teacher, however, left the librarian's assistant to organize the books while he disappeared off into the back. That gave Levi the liberty to curl up a bit in his seat, a hiss of discomfort or two leaving his lips every so often. According to him, his stomach ache was starting to lighten up, but by the way he refused to move no matter what, that wasn't the case. Levi's face was paler than usual and he was slightly shivering despite it being so hot outside (then again, they were in an air conditioned room) – if anything, Eren should cancel their 'date' and reschedule. He tried that, and of course, Levi refused. What a stubborn man.

After school that day, they indeed walked to a nearby park, which wasn't as close as they thought it was (or at least that's how it felt for Levi). Besides the walk being iffy, there was a cool breeze that gently brushed over their skin, the sidewalk nearly being covered entirely with a refreshing shade. The crowns of trees were parched and begged for water, the sunlight a bit milder than it usually was and the grass a light green. The park itself wasn't as big as others, but it was completely empty except for wildlife venturing out into the grass (if animals were even considered visitors). The park was at the very edge of the street, the lights and crosswalks empty besides the usual car or two speeding by. There was an old swing set and a small playground for the younger children, which certainly entertained Eren. While Eren slid down the dusty slide for the fifth time, Levi used the swing to the very edge of the swing set, kicking at the sand in a slouched position.

Levi's brow furrowed with confusion when he felt gentle hands grip his shoulders, giving them a soothing squeeze and sliding down to his upper back. Levi craned his neck over to give his lover a kiss, who immediately complied with a joyful smile.

While Eren pushed Levi on the swing, the raven snorted, "Hmph. How romantic,"

"I feel like a little kid again," Eren hummed, giving Levi another firm push with one arm while he rubbed his eye. "But I used to be a lot more energetic,"

Levi grinned as his grip on the chains slightly loosened. "That's because you stayed up until three writing that damned chapter for me. You're lucky Armin was awake to read it at four in the morning,"

"He's always studying at that time, so I took advantage of it," Eren thought for a moment and asked, "Isn't making corrections technically studying?"

"I don't think so,"

After a few more swings, Levi felt his stomach lurch, adding to the overall pain he felt. He nearly gagged as he dug his heels into the sand, which made Eren's concern skyrocket. They shouldn't have came to the park if Levi felt that bad. The raven saw his worried look and waved it off, muttering something about him sitting down as well. Eren took the silent gesture, sitting in the swing next to Levi and absentmindedly kicking his feet in front of him. That movement itself made him sway a bit, the motion soothing when the breeze delicately brushed past him at the same time.

"What happened after I left?"

That question made Eren bite his lip, the skin burning with irritation as it threatened to tear. "... What do you mean?"

Levi looked over to him, his gaze tranquil despite his pain, frustration, and oncoming self-loathing (then again, the self-loathing was always there). "With you and Mikasa, the police and Erwin – assuming those two actually did something – you get it,"

"Er..." he hesitated for a moment and said, "Well, Mikasa and I still talk like we used to, but she's guilty about something, I just know it. Nothing really changed... Erwin didn't tell me anything... and I've always hated the police. They expect me to have every single answer they're looking for,"

Levi clenched his fist around the chain of his swing. He confirmed lowly, "They took you and Armin in for questioning,"  
Eren nodded quickly. "We_ were _witnesses and we called nine-one-one, so..."

A small pause followed his sentence. Watching as a lone jogger crossed the street, Levi growled lowly, "It'll take awhile before I get my car fixed and replace my phone. Shit... I hate Erwin so fucking much..."

"Why? He's your uncle,"

"You'd hate your uncle, too, if he acted like some nosy douche bag and butts into your life thinking you'll let him right in," Levi snapped, his tone a bit harsher than he meant it to be. He caught himself and added with a softer voice, "There's just a lot that he knows and it pisses me off because I've never told him anything. He has a way of getting the information he wants, and I hate it so much,"

"I didn't think Erwin was like that..." Eren murmured, mostly to himself.

He watched from the corner of his eye as Levi held in a pained groan, clearing his throat as if he was trying to brush it off. Another breeze passed by them, but this one was much colder than the last, the place feeling eerily lonely despite a blue car turning the corner. A constant ticking was heard in the distance, which made them both look up with curiosity; a biker came into view as he passed by the brick wall separating the park from the neighborhood. The backpack and white bandana certainly told them who it was.

"... Isn't that Dita?"

Levi nodded, his voice very slightly shaking as he mused, "He's in basketball, isn't he? Luke was, too... poor kids. I wonder if he's all right,"

"Probably. He's a really happy guy... but Luke's death was pretty sudden..."

Just as Eren lost interest and starting to lightly swing, Levi continued to watch Dita – something wasn't right. He wasn't slowing down to cross the road, but then again, no one passes by these streets. Before he got the chance to look away, he heard a distance roar of an engine. He's just imagining things, right?

Levi shook his head furiously and breathed, "Not now..."

"What, Levi?"

His prediction was correct; Levi watched through a hard gaze, the sound of breaking glass and a muffled cry making Eren flinch. The only warning Dita was given was the flash of a car's headlights, but that was useless. The white van collided into him, completely throwing him off and ruining the bike in the process. Eren's hands shook as he tried to function them, debating between calling the police or getting out of there as fast as possible. The vehicle itself, however, sped off into the neighboring street, its front window completely shattered and the handlebar of the bike embedded into the metal. Dita lay motionless in the middle of the street a few yards away from the point of impact, a smear of blood seen behind him, in which Levi came to the conclusion that he severely scraped his face on. The angle in which Dita's body lay in was disgusting and unnatural, making Eren's eyes widen (if that were even possible at this point) and Levi cringe. The very sight of blood brought up the rest of the gruesome images he had in his mind, only making it harder to hold in the bile in his throat.

Eren's shaky voice brought him to his bitter senses; "L- Levi... w- we need to do something..."

Processing the scene through his headache, he noticed that Eren was already on the brink of breaking down completely. Tears were already threatening to poor and his body was shaking. The thing that concerned Levi, was... the white van they saw was the one that Thomas died under. It was moving way too fast for the situation to be an accident, and it turned out to be a hit-and-run. Why would some intentionally kill Dita in the first place? Everything was too familiar and his frustration, pain, and fear were bleaching his vision white; without warning, he wretched and vomited over the sand, making Eren inhale sharply and look away, but that was useless. To his left was Levi dealing with his own troubles and to his right was a friend of his laying dead in the middle of a street. He can't handle this. Things could have happened so much smoother, but now, he couldn't even bring himself to cry at the very least. He didn't know what to do. He was terrified.

It hurt Eren knowing that he still feared for his life, even with Levi nearby him.


	24. Complicated

**Note:** I am very, very sorry for the long delay. I've been seriously ill the past few days and I'm still really iffy, but hey, the worst has passed and now I get to sit down and start typing again. Now it's time to toy with the Levihan, Rivetra, and Rivamika~ And I know it's against the rules of fan fiction to mention things from other fandoms, oh well. It's an AU.

**Disclaimer:** The anime characters mentioned in this chapter are from Tokyo Ghoul, Black Butler, and DRAMAtical Murder. None of these belong to me [obviously], nor do the businesse/stores that were used.

* * *

_**Chapter Twenty-four; Complicated**_

Eren sighed deeply as he ran his fingers through his hair, only mildly relaxing in his seat. It's been three days since Dita died, and he hasn't contacted Levi at all in between. His lover hasn't shown up to school and he already suffered a panic attack the previous night. He tried piecing so many things together in his head, but in the end, it just didn't make sense. In an effort of wracking his memory for specific dates, he was rewarded with a massive headache. Even if he was sitting in an air conditioned room with hardly any noise whatsoever, his face felt like it was on fire and his skull was pulsing in time with his heartbeat.

Why Levi hasn't shown up for three days, he didn't know, and it was certainly ruining him. They left the scene almost as soon as it ended, because according to Levi, calling the police twice in almost the same week wasn't the best thing to do (because Eren 'witnessing' two deaths in such a short period of time was suspicious). At least the neighbors were quick to react and almost completely ignored the two as they called for help. This whole situation was ruining him completely.

At this point, he was basically cradling his head in his hands in a futile effort to ease his headache. After debating whether to go to the nurse or not, he felt someone grip his shoulders, which made him nearly jump a mile.

Hanji's amused voice was heard behind him; "Whoah, I didn't mean to scare you!"

Eren's heart throbbed painfully as it pounded against his chest, the adrenaline coursing throughout his veins. He turned and saw Petra, who was scolding Hanji with, "Don't sneak up on people like that! Are you okay, Eren?"

"I'm fine," he muttered, relaxing back into his seat. At the sight of the two of them wearing yellow vests, he asked, "Are you two supposed to be working or something?"

"We left Oluo alone with the PA system," Petra spat bitterly, crossing her arms over her chest with a small 'hmph!'

"She's pissed off because Eld and Gunther didn't want to stay behind and make sure Oluo doesn't drop the microphone or something," Hanji giggled, her point being proven by Petra's quiet growl. "But enough about that. What's up with you? You don't look so hot,"

When Eren looked away and refused to answer, Petra guessed, "Is it because Levi hasn't shown up?"

"... He's never reacted like that to a death before... were they close or something?" Eren asked, looking up at the two through large eyes.

"It's not that," Petra replied with a soft voice, soothingly combing Eren's messy bangs out of his face. "Hanji called his mom the other day and he's doing perfectly well – emotionally, that is,"

"What do you mean?"

Hanji pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, "That poor sap has a really bad stomach ache. I told him not to. Well, it's not exactly his stomach, it's his pancreas,"

"He wasn't born with a healthy pancreas, so he has to be really careful with what he eats," Petra bit her lip and mused, "I wonder what happened... I know he's not _that _careless, even with Hanji there..."

Eren's voice was quiet, masked with depression; "I don't know, a sick way of punishing himself and making it look unintentional?"

The other two exchanged concerned looks, and they asked in unison, "Why do you think that?"

Eren shook his head and rest his head on one folded hand. "Just my guess. It's nothing. Don't worry about it,"

Petra pulled out the chair next to Eren and took a seat in it, scooting closer to him and gingerly gripping his shoulder. "Levi wouldn't do that to himself. He's really strict when it comes to studies, you know that already. He also wouldn't miss three days of school in a row on purpose. Chances are pretty good that Mr. Smith forced him to stay home because of it,"

"... Why hasn't he called?"

Petra glared at Hanji, who cleared her throat and pushed her glasses further up the bridge of her nose. "He lost his phone, but I'm sure he'll get a new one this weekend or something. The car would have to wait, though..."

"But why?" the shorter brunette cut in, her brow furrowed with confusion. "If he can afford a new one, then why is he waiting for his old one to get fixed?"

"Don't give me something else to think about," Eren groaned, rubbing his eyes. "I'm tired enough. There's so many things I want to know that it hurts,"

"I know how you feel," Petra crooned softly, giving Eren a hug and a kiss to his temple. "Everything will be back to normal faster than you know it,"

"... All right,"

They [almost reluctantly] left him to go return to their work, with Hanji processing a few things in her head while Petra nervously chewed her lip. Eren has never looked so tired and confused before... it was almost maddening. While they stepped out of the library and into the heat, music was heard in the distance, meaning Oluo didn't blow up the PA system while they were gone. That mildly relieved them.

Hanji's question broke the silence between them; "... Do you think he's going to be okay?"

Petra's eyes narrowed as she said darkly, "You know, if you didn't take his phone, Eren wouldn't be so stressed. I heard about Dita and all those other people this past year, and it's seriously terrifying me even if I didn't experience them. Do you have any idea how badly this is affecting him?"

The brunette picked up her pace, spitting bitterly, "Do _you?_"

Petra trotted to keep up with her. "Don't try running from the situation. You feel guilty right now, don't you?

"Lunch ends in ten minutes. Let's hurry and clean up so we could get to class," Hanji replied, completely disregarding her friend's question.

"Don't use that as an excuse, we don't clean up for five more minutes! I care about both of them, and you know what you did was wrong!"

Hanji momentarily glared at her and looked away. "What, helping Erwin find out why his nephew has been on the brink of suicide almost nightly is a crime? We both want to figure out why just like him, so technically, what I did was right,"

She shook her head and sighed, "Forcing him to tell us only gets worse. I learned that the hard way. It's not going to happen, Hanji, and this is just ruining the both of them,"

"And what if I don't care?" Hanji asked.

"The real question is; what if you're just forcing yourself to do something you don't want to do because you love the other person and you don't want to lose him?"

Hanji abruptly stopped in her tracks, making Petra stumble a bit to avoid crashing. She hesitated for a moment before muttering quietly, "... I don't love him,"

The brunette felt Petra's arms snake around her shoulders, pulling her into a comforting embrace. "We both said the same thing so many times. I'm just as concerned as you are, really... but how could we even help if we don't know why this is all happening?"

"... Now I know why Eren's stressed out,"

She wrenched herself away from Petra's hold and continued on down the hallway, the sight of Ilse happily trotting up to her with her science notebook beyond comforting. Petra's head dropped as she sighed; well, at least Hanji was feeling a little better, but the whole situation with Levi and Eren was seriously starting to get to her.

**o0o0o0o**

_(Later on that day)_

It's been a little over one hour and Eren was finally starting to feel a bit better. His headache already eased up a bit, and Armin's outgoing self was getting him into a better mood. Then again, a lot of things has effected his mood the past few days – it was hard to keep a sanguine view on things. He stayed after school with Armin and Bertolt in the library, and it was much different that it was during the day; there were students chatting and gossiping while others were working on projects, browsing through the library, or typing on the computer. It was louder than usual... he didn't know if that was a good or bad change. They were seated at the table that Eren and Levi usually stayed at, with Armin drawing models out of a book based on human anatomy and Bertolt reading through a rather thick hard-cover book. Eren himself was working on his biology homework, listening to Armin talk excitedly about the upcoming holiday.

"Eren, Halloween this year is going to be amazing!" Armin squeaked cheerfully. "I really, really want to cosplay Kaneki, but that mask costs so much..."

"I thought you would have made it yourself," Eren laughed.

Armin cleared his throat and chuckled weakly, "Y-Yeah, I would have, but I'd need leather to make it and that's kinda expensive, too..."

"How are you gonna pull off the black sclera?" Bertolt asked quietly, momentarily taking his eyes off the page.

Armin deflated a bit, but he sprang right back up with; "I have over a month to figure that out! But can't I just get red contacts and I'm good?"

Holy shit, was he optimistic, and that cheered up both of the brunettes. Bertolt smiled broadly and returned to his book, muttering softly, "I'm looking forward to seeing that,"

"Now that I think of it, I wonder what it'd be like if I lost an eye..." Armin mused, covering his right eye with his sketchbook.

Eren leaned back in his seat and stretched, grunting at the popping in his spine. "You probably wouldn't be able to accurately cosplay the same characters you do now. But what's a character without a missing eye?"

"I mean, I can always do a great Ciel or Koujaku even if I did lose an eye, just depends which one it is,"

Bertolt grinned and said, "I'm waiting to see you in either a pink dress or a red kimono,"

"I'm surprised you've watched Dramatical Murder,"

"I am, too. It's not as murderous as one would think... well, depends how you define 'murderous,'"

At those words, Eren's mood faltered. He knew it was really stupid to let a semi-innocent statement get to him, but he just couldn't help to it. Armin put the sketchbook down and asked him, "So, Eren? Are you going to dress up with me this year?"

"... Probably,"

"You're not going to ditch me again, are you?"

Eren's eyes drooped as he looked back at his paper. "Well, we'll see,"

Armin was about to return to his sketchbook, but the sudden change of atmosphere made him think otherwise. He placed a hand on Eren's shoulder and asked, "What's wrong, Eren?"

"Don't worry about it,"

Bertolt and Armin exchanged very quick glances before he continued, "You're already making me worry about it, and keeping it away from us isn't doing you any good,"

After taking a small moment to form his thoughts into words, the brunette questioned, "... Who do you think is next?"

Armin's optimistic side started to inch away as he replied with a question of his own, "Why are you asking me that...?"

Eren's shoulders shook as his body wracked with a shiver, his voice sounding completely broken; "Because e- everyone's dying and I c- can't find a pattern... I don't understand a-a- anything that's going on anymore -"_ (frustrated tears welled up in his eyes, which made Armin wrap an arm around his shoulder)_ "- Levi's probably w- wishing he'd die in his sickbed, just like every other time..."

"You know that's not true," Armin said, pulling Eren into a warm embrace. "Everything that's been going on has been accidents, Eren, you had no say in them and you had no idea they were going to happen,"

He furiously blinked the tears back and snapped, "Almost all of them h- happened right next to me and I_ know_ they're not accidents... I'm just lying to myself at this point, aren't I? I'm a c- curse..."

Before Armin got to reply, Bertolt cut in calmly, "Eren, you're a mess. You're a complete mess right now and you depend on others. You're failing miserably and you don't want to pick yourself up anymore. But you're not a curse and it was never your fault. You may have screwed up really badly, I won't deny that, but that doesn't mean you're a curse. Don't call yourself something you're not. The whole point in life is to fail, try again, and succeed, not give up,"

At those words, Eren laughed weakly, "I'm being really stupid, aren't I?"

Bertolt closed his book and said, "No, you're not stupid for worrying like that. You're just... scared... and alone,"

"That's nothing to be ashamed of, though," Armin added, watching hopefully for any alteration in Eren's mood. "No one likes to be lonely, and that's all you've been lately,"

"I'm just over exaggerating... but I'm stressed out and I don't know what to do. I think I'm going to try to visit Levi over the weekend and see what happens..."

"That's the spirit," Armin said quietly, giving Eren a tight hug. "We're always here if you need to talk,"

A confident smile shone on Eren's lips, and this one was actually real. "Yeah, thanks,"

Armin beamed at him while Bertolt's usually tranquil expression softened with a different emotion. What emotion it was, they were unsure of, but it was most likely a good thing. Eren felt like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders; he thought he was alone, but in reality, he just failed to see who was really there for him.

**o0o0o0o**

_ (Monday)_

It's now officially the second week of September – they were a fourth done with the month and the quarter ended in a little over four weeks. The month of August breezed by at a surprising rate, and the school year would most likely go by just as quickly. Next thing knew, they'll trudge through finals, show up for graduation, and leave the school to go find a life. That sounds much easier than it really is. At this point, Levi knew full well what he was going to do with his life; enter a university, study economics, business, and take various leadership courses, and take over his mother's company when she retired. It's not like he didn't enjoy it. He loved working beside his mother, hence the reason why he volunteered to edit his lover's story and eventually publish it.

Now that he thinks of it, Eren's been working on his novel a lot more than usual. Even if he hasn't sorted out future chapters yet, he's been going back into earlier stages of the story and editing a few things. Some part of him believed that Eren was changing the descriptions of the deaths to resemble the ones that happened in real life. He did, however, cut out Hannah's death – knowing Eren, he probably felt guilty and removed it. Or her apparent suicide really haunted him to this day. Either way, one thing that concerned him the most was Eren's mentality. Not that Levi considered him mental, though. He'd never think that.

That morning had been boring as hell (besides talking to Eren and dealing with Hanji and Petra's stupidity), but since he had to work during second lunch, he had the chance to visit Eren. But that would mean he'd have to sneak away from where he was supposed to be. He stood outside the library at the furthest corner that was facing away from the door, a silky black smart phone held loosely in his hand. He didn't have time to get a phone case just yet, but he admired the very faint pattern on the back of the phone the bore the company logo 'LG.'

The sound of the library door creaking open made his silver gray eyes flick up from his new phone, only to mildly soften at the sight of his lover stepping out of the building. Eren readjusted two different backpacks on his shoulder, holding the door open with his foot. A few seconds later, Armin stumbled out the door, covering his mouth with the back of his hand to muffle his devious giggles. Their voices were barely heard from where he was, even if he strained his ears.

"I feel like such a horrible person! I can't do it!" Armin moaned when the door closed, sounding amused despite his supposed guilt.

Eren made an impatient noise and grabbed Armin's hand, saying, "He won't find out,"

With that, the two idiotic friends hurried off. Eren making unnecessary physical contact made Levi's eye twitch with disapproval, but he held back the urge to uppercut Armin. As soon as they rounded the corner, the library door swung open and Jean darted out the building, growling angrily under his breath. Judging by Eren holding a second backpack, they stole Jean's belongings. No wonder Armin felt terrible. Levi sighed as he leaned against the wall, tucking his phone away in his pocket. Behind him, he heard very faint footsteps, which made him grin.

"What's wrong, princess?"

He looked over and saw Mikasa, who was tucking her chin into her scarf. "How did you know it was me?"

Levi shrugged and said, "You get too excited and fuck up trying to sneak up on someone when you get too close. Hanji and Petra are really clumsy, too. What do you want?"

She deadpanned slowly, "You're supposed to be working,"

Levi rolled his eyes and turned back towards the library door, debating between following Eren or staying there to chat. "I don't give a damn about yearbook pre-orders. It's September. No one's buying,"

"Doesn't mean you get to leave and stalk my little brother," she snapped.

This made Levi's grin widen. Shifting to face her direction, he said with a lighthearted voice, "Who said I was stalking him?"

"Watching him from a God damn distance isn't healthy!"

"- Calling someone your little brother even if they're not related to you by blood and are only about a month younger than you isn't really healthy, either,"

Mikasa clucked her tongue and replied, "It doesn't matter if we're not related by blood. I consider him my little brother because I love him,"

Despite Levi's eyes darkening, he said just as lightly, "And it doesn't matter if I leave unproductive business to go see him. I keep an eye on him because I care about him,"

The two ravens held each others eye before Mikasa growled, "You're mental,"

"I'm not insane," Levi said quietly, shifting his gaze back towards the library door. He slipped his hand into his back pocket and took out a very familiar tool that made his eyes glint with excitement. "Just cautious,"

The sight of Levi pulling out a pair of sharpened scissors made Mikasa take a much more defensive turn. Despite that being semi-innocent to Levi, she had a whole different view on it, hence the reason why she's taking action. He spun about and caught her wrist in his hand with hardly any difficulty, viciously twisting her arm behind her back and pinning her against the wall. She hissed in pain and struggled, only to gasp and stay as motionless as possible when she felt something cold and sharp press against her skin.

"What's this? It already closed up?" Levi breathed, lightly trailing the blade over the healing wound on her throat.

"I'll murder you," she growled, her voice filled with anger. "I should have done it back then!"

"You're in the position to talk," he chuckled darkly, running the sharp tip of the scissors down her throat and towards her collar bone. "Seriously, we could have avoided this entire situation. Where do you want it, princess? Here?"

He emphasized his last question by applying minor pressure to the skin right above her heart. The top button on her dress shirt was pulled out of its socket, and so was the second, the small actions Levi was making slowly starting to reveal her chest. Right when Mikasa made herself believe that Levi was going to trail lower down her body, he let go of the hold on her arm and retracted the pair of scissors, pulling away completely. Her glare towards him softened a bit with confusion as he dropped the weapon on the floor near her feet.

"But it's all fun and games until one of us accidentally kills the other," he stated plainly, sounding completely bored with the entire situation. "I'm not going to argue with you, nor am I going to continue anything. By all means, grab those damned scissors and make me regret ever touching your little brother. I'm not going to stop you,"

"You're stalking my brother and there's a chance you're still working with _them_," Mikasa said quietly, buttoning her dress shirt back up to the very top. Hiding the collar with her scarf, she continued, "All I want is answers. You're still dangerous. Give me a reason not to get rid of you here and now,"

"What do you think has been happening in this damn school the past few weeks? Everyone's getting along, passing their classes, and going out with their shitty friends at some wannabe AMC Theater?" pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed, "You're as concerned as I am about all these people dying. They're affecting him really badly and I want to figure out what's causing them. But I'll make you a deal,"

Her eyes narrowed. "What're you proposing?"

"If I do end up contacting Kenny again, I'll leave you two alone for good. And, well... if I don't," Levi quickly swiped his index finger horizontally across his throat, continuing with a small hint of amusement, "you get the honor to make sure I don't ruin what you still have,"

"Tempting. It really is. But whether you're working for him or not doesn't matter to me. What matters to me is Eren's happiness. Hurt him once and I'll make sure you never see daylight again, even if you're innocent,"

"I don't plan on hurting him. Intentionally, that is,"

Before Mikasa could say anything, the bell rang. Levi shrugged and walked off without another word, the feeling of Mikasa's glare boring into the back of his head making him sigh. They both want to help and care for Eren in more ways than one – it's simple yet complicated situation in itself. But that's just how life works. Everything is complicated.

* * *

**Extra Note:**

_Chibi Nagisa Sakura:_ Be honest, you're tired of these [puny] characters dying for no reason, aren't you? Not that there isn't a reason, but think; how can they link all the deaths together if there is no certain pattern or location whatsoever? (In other words, yes, they'll try to.) There's not much left, trust me. I know things are going really slow.

_Scarlett101:_ Happy birthday~ and I'm sorry.


	25. Paranoid

**Note:** I have no excuses for this chapter. I've been having Riren withdrawals, and I'm sure my dearest readers have, too.

**Disclaimer:** The game mentioned in this chapter does not belong to me. Who doesn't love Slender?

* * *

_**Chapter Twenty-five; Paranoid**_

The afternoon was relaxing – soft music playing in the background, a calm neighborhood, a quiet household. It all would have been perfect if Levi didn't have to deal with the second thing he hated the most. He sighed heavily as he watched the computer screen, one hand moving the character while the other used the mouse to look around or collect needed items. Next to him, Eren sat in a separate chair, propping his head up on one folded hand, watching his lover through curious eyes.

As Levi walked the character into a building, he repeated under his breath, "I hate you,"

"Come on, Levi, it's just a game," Eren replied after he lost count of how many times Levi said 'I hate you'. "I want you to try something new,"

Levi's silver-gray eyes scanned the room he walked through, and as expected, there was a note pinned to the wall. A very small shiver ran down his spine as he collected the note, the eerie sound effect making him want to dropkick Eren for ever suggesting it. The game reminded him that this was his third note out of eight, which was scribbled on with the words 'no eyes, always watching'.

"Hunter, I'm going to murder you," Levi muttered, slightly straightening up in his seat as he exited the building.

Eren watched as his lover ventured further into the woods. "Why? I want to expose you to the world of Slender,"

"I don't want to be exposed to heart failure and tentacle rape," Levi snapped, not taking his eyes off the screen as he crept into a structure similar to a pipe. Another note was seen in the distance.

"So you've heard of it before?" he asked hopefully.

Ignoring Eren's last question, Levi clicked on the note once, then twice, slightly tilting his head to the side in confusion. He continued to click, musing, "... It's not working for some reason,"

As soon as he turned the camera around so he could leave, he was met with a jump scare sound effect and the faceless figure he didn't wish to see. Eren burst into a laughing fit when he saw Levi flinch, angrily pushing his seat back and stepping away from the computer.

"Levi, come back! He just wants a hug!"

"I'm not touching that hellish thing!" Levi growled, giving the computer screen a highly disgusted look as the game restarted.

"Come on, just one more round!" Eren pleaded.

Levi turned his back towards him and retorted, "Shouldn't you be writing or something?"

"I pulled a chapter out of my ass at two in the morning for you!" Eren shot back angrily, leaning over to the furthest drawer on his desk. Pulling it open and rummaging through the contents, he took out his personal notebook and flipped to the last few pages. "I wrote down a few ideas. Happy?"

He presented it to Levi after he flipped to the desired page, blushing as his lover snorted, "Just a few? Looks like you wrote your damn novel in here,"

With that, the raven returned to the desk and sat in the chair next to Eren, taking the time to turn off the monitor (the screen was, surprisingly, starting to show a bit of grain). Eren's handwriting was very messy, even when he was 'trying', and Levi thought he'd seen the worse on his biology assignments. Even so, it was still legible – just barely. There were small notes written in bullets, very vague descriptions on how various characters were to die, and ideas on future characters and events. While he read through, Eren relocated to his bed, stretching his back and yawning.

"You should become a doctor. Looks like the perfect job for you," Levi said, grinning as his lover growled something under his breath. There was also something that was scribbled out that caught the raven's eye, so out of curiosity, he asked, "What do you mean by 'female Titan'?"

"I thought I scratched that out completely," Eren muttered. "Well, Titans don't have genders or sexes, they just resemble men. Having a female Titan wouldn't agree with that,"

"Depends how you apply a female type," Levi mused, gingerly running his index finger across the page. He located a few crossed out ideas and continued, "You wrote something down about Titan shifters. If you have the Colossal and Armored Titan, what's so bad about having a female Titan?"

The brunette reached his hand out for the notebook. "I was thinking of adding a fourth one, but I don't even know who the Titan shifters are going to be yet,"

Levi passed it to him, along with a stray pen behind the monitor, quietly suggesting, "Well, you model your characters from people in real life, right? Just pick people that resemble those Titans in particular. Unless you already have some in mind?"

"How would the three be related?" Eren questioned, scribbling a few things on the paper. "And the fourth one... I have a small idea on who and why I'd even add them in there, but I don't think I'm going to deal with that yet,"

"You don't even know who's going to be a Titan shifter yet and you're already adding in another one," Levi pointed out, absentmindedly grooming his hair. "But back to the point – if you want to add a female type Titan, go for it. Just find out who it's going to be,"

Eren tucked the pen behind his ear and rest his head on his pillow, sighing as he asked, "Well, it's the only female Titan, so how do I make 'her' special besides having breasts?"

Levi shrugged. "I don't know, give it a nice ass?"

Without thinking, Eren snorted, "Like yours?"

He caught himself and buried his face into the pillow, blushing vividly. Levi said with a smirk, "So now I know you've been checking my ass out,"

"N- No, I haven't!" Eren spluttered, taking his pillow and throwing it at his lover.

Levi chose not to catch it, rolling his eyes as it hit the desk and fell to the ground, bringing an unorganized pencil holder with it. Eren groaned in embarrassment and sat up on the bed, watching as the raven pushed his chair back with a sigh.

"Your accuracy is shit," Levi stated, crouching down low with his back towards Eren, giving him a nice display of his rear. Eren bit his lip as Levi set the pillow aside, sighing heavily, "Just look at the mess you made. For shame,"

Levi gathered the spilled pencils and pens on all fours, completely aware of his highly flustered lover watching. To Eren's greatest dismay, he felt his cock twitch, making him clear his throat and look away.

"Fucking jerk," Eren growled.

"But I'm just cleaning up the mess that you made," Levi purred, setting the pencil holder back in its place. He took the pillow in hand and returned it to Eren himself, silently admiring the blush on his cheeks. "I didn't think you'd have this reaction to a little bit of teasing,"

"A _little_ bit," he repeated, purposely emphasizing the word 'little'.

"What, that considers me a criminal now?"

"Yes, it does!"

At those words, Levi gripped Eren's shoulders and pushed him back against the bed, straddling his lap with a soft croon, "And criminals always do unspeakable things, don't they?"

"Wait, what?" Eren gasped.

Levi leaned in and kissed Eren's neck, sucking slow and deliberate with very little precaution. The brunette felt himself start to harden as he subconsciously tilted his head to the side, biting his lip as he felt Levi's breath ghost over his skin. Levi nipped at the rose-pink mark, pressing open-mouthed kisses along the length of his neck and up to his jawline.

Nibbling at Eren's earlobe, the raven muttered, "I'm not making you uncomfortable, am I?"

"You're not," he replied.

Levi planted a soft kiss on Eren's temple and moved back to his neck, nibbling down to his pulse point to roughly suck on the delicate skin. His lover's breath hitched at the action, which made him gingerly bite into the newly formed bruise. Eren knew that the marks would be hard to cover up, but that was the least of his concerns at the moment. After a small pause, he snaked his hands along Levi's waist and towards his hips, hesitantly cupping his firm rear. The raven momentarily tensed at the action, but he brushed it off and pushed back against Eren's hands as if he was encouraging him to continue.

Eren nipped at the shell of Levi's ear as he fondled his ass with soft caresses. When Levi pulled back, he saw that his face was as emotionless as it normally was, except for the spark in his eyes. They both leaned in for the kiss, their lips dancing together with an almost perfect synch. Levi exhaled sharply as Eren's treatment started to get a bit rougher, gently sucking on his lower lip and pulling before letting go. With that, he broke away completely, smirking as he sat up.

"Having fun there?" Levi purred, now fully aware of the hardness pressing up against his ass. Slapping Eren's hands away, the raven ground against his clothed arousal, earning a small gasp. "Well, we can't just let this sit here, can we?"

Eren nearly whined as Levi climbed off his lap. "What do you mean?"

Levi slowly got to his knees, saying, "Do me a favor and cover your eyes,"

Eren was quite hesitant to do so, but after a short pause, he did as he was told. He covered his eyes with one hand as he used his free arm to prop himself up, realization hitting him once he felt Levi unbuckle his pants.

"Wait, Levi, y- you don't have to,"

"I want to,"

"But -"

His protest was interrupted as he bit his lip, muffling a small moan as Levi licked his erection through his boxers. Levi sucked through the fabric, spreading Eren's legs himself to have a bit more room to work with. He delivered one final suck before pulling Eren's cock out of his boxers, his silver eyes sparking with arousal at the sight of pre-come starting to leak from the tip. The brunette truly was inexperienced, and for some reason, that excited him. Eren let out a breathy moan as Levi tongued the slit, gradually licking the head of his cock into his mouth. The bitter taste of Eren's seed reached his taste buds as he slowly bobbed his head, loosening his jaw further to grant easier access. Levi's tongue slithered along the underside of Eren's cock, running his hands along Eren's thighs as he hungrily sucked.

The brunette was panting for his breath at this point, excited moans leaving his lips, and eventually, he removed his hand to watch Levi suck him off. When their eyes met, Levi swallowed around his length, a small moan leaving the back of his throat. The moan itself sent vibrations down Eren's member, making him buck his hips and whimper. The head of Eren's cock hit the back of Levi's throat, making the raven whine in protest and pull back a bit. He continued to bob his head anyways, roughly sucking in time with his movements, all the while keeping a firm, lustful gaze with his lover.

Eren breathed heavily, "L- Levi, I... I'm going to -"

Before he could finish, he reached his climax, throwing his head back with a sweet cry of ecstasy. Levi gingerly sucked as Eren's seed filled his mouth, the bitter taste making his brow furrow. He released the brunette's cock with a small _pop_ and reached for the trash can that was next to the desk, spitting out Eren's come while trying to catch his own breath.

As Eren came down from the high of his orgasm, he bit his lip and muttered, "I'm sorry..."

"Don't worry about it," Levi said, wiping the corner of his mouth.

Eren subconsciously licked his lips as he caught the sight of Levi's erection eagerly pressing against the fabric of his jeans, begging for attention. "... I should return the favor,"

"You don't have to," Levi replied, pressing the palm of his hand against his arousal. With a soft sigh, he said, "I'll deal with it later,"

"No," Eren gave Levi a confident look and insisted, "Let me,"

After a small pause, the raven looked away and growled, "Fine,"

They switched places; now Eren was the one on his knees, with Levi's silver eyes curiously watching every movement. Eren unzipped his lover's jeans and reached into his boxers, pulling out his fully hardened member. The sight of Levi's cock forming a very small curve towards his stomach made Eren blush intensely. He wrapped his hand around the raven's member and pumped slowly, hesitantly licking the head. After gaining a bit more confidence by the faint blush of Levi's cheekbones, Eren started to lick as if it were a sweet, eventually bringing it into his mouth.

Tears built up in the corner of his eyes from discomfort as he loosened his jaw, taking his time to get used to the length invading his wet cavern. Levi weaved his fingers through Eren's hair with a quiet moan, spreading his legs a bit wider to give Eren more access. The brunette started to bob his head a bit faster, accidentally scraping his teeth against the foreskin.

Levi tugged at the chocolate locks with a gasp; "Careful,"

Eren pulled back and gave an apologetic lick, taking it back into his mouth with much more caution this time. Over time, breathing became much harder, small moans leaving the back of his throat as he took as much as he could into his mouth. When their eyes met, Levi bit his lip and groaned, pulling on Eren's hair. That made him moan around Levi's cock, the taste of his pre-come attacking his taste buds. It wasn't a taste he enjoyed, but he continued anyways, his face burning with an intense blush.

"- Eren,"

That was the only warning he received. Eren's eyes widened as he felt Levi's warm seed spill into his mouth and down his throat, and as a reflex, he swallowed. Levi's grip on his hair tightened significantly, allowing a moan to leave his lips as resisted the urge to thrust into his mouth. Eren panted heavily as he pulled away, licking the small splatters of pre-come off of his lips. The raven caressed his cheek with a genuine smile.

"I can't believe you actually went down on me," Levi muttered. When his lover leaned in to kiss him, he turned away and said, "You better brush your teeth,"

"Clean freak," Eren pouted.

At the sight of Eren's pout and large green eyes staring at him expectantly, Levi clucked his tongue and gave him a quick peck to the lips. "There. Happy?"

"Yup!" he yawned and added, "I'm really tired now, too..."

Levi stood up and helped Eren to his feet. "That reminds me. It's national coffee day. I'll make you some coffee,"

"Wait, it's the twenty-eighth already?" Eren gasped brightly and said, "Levi, Halloween is thirty-three days from now!"

Levi rolled his eyes and said with a grin, "You're too old to go trick-or-treating,"

"As if! Go trick or treating with me this year!" the brunette insisted.

Ignoring that last statement, Levi asked, "So do you want coffee or not?"

Eren sighed. "Sure, I'll come with you,"

As they padded out into the dining room, Eren swallowed thickly; the taste of Levi's seed was still in his mouth. It's not like he hated it, but it just felt so... different. Did he seriously just suck his boyfriend to completion? Levi seemed to have no trouble with it at all, and how he seemed so experienced, Eren didn't want to know (but a dark part of him did). There was still a wet area on his boxers from where Levi had sucked and licked through the fabric, the feeling eliciting a small shiver. While Levi rummaged around for the coffee filters, Eren realized that he didn't have his phone with him.

"I'll be right back," he muttered, leaving the room while after Levi hummed in acknowledgement.

It was quiet in the house without Mikasa there. Or rather, it felt lonelier without Mikasa in the house. She left right after school with Sasha, leaving the house to Eren and Levi for the evening. Despite them sharing a rather intimate session and Eren insisting on blowing things up in the microwave, the afternoon was calm and semi-quiet. When he retrieved his phone, he saw that Armin sent him about twelve different text messages – he assumed something was wrong, but when he checked, it was just Armin sending pictures of Ryuzaki in a pirate hat, cape, and boots. God knows what the little guy has in store for Halloween.

As he stepped back into the kitchen, he looked up from his phoe and saw that Levi was having issues reaching the sugar. Levi stood on his toes and stretched his arm out to the fullest extent, barely scraping the jar with his nail. Eren took him by full surprise as he pushed his hand away and grabbed the jar on his own, setting it on the counter with a friendly smile.

Levi took the sugar with a dangerous glare, delivering a swift (yet gentle) kick to Eren's shins and growling, "I hate you so much,"

Eren tried his hardest not to laugh. "I helped you, and this is how you repay me?"

"It's what you deserve. Now you know how to hide things from me," Levi snapped, scooping the powder into the filter.

While the coffee brewed, the two conversed over a few topics, and Levi took the time to admire the pictures of Ryuzaki in his costume. While Levi advised him to hide the marks on his neck with foundation, his phone rang. Shrugging, the raven walked back into the kitchen to check on the coffee maker, his nose catching the very faint aura of dark roast. The person that was calling was Armin, but why he was calling without a warning only mildly concerned Eren.

Bringing the phone up to his ear, he opened his mouth to greet his childhood friend, but he was interrupted; _"Eren, are you busy on the ninth?"_

Eren watched as Levi poured coffee into their two mugs, steam quickly whisking into the air in small wisps. "I don't think so. That's a Friday, right?"

_"Yeah, it is. I wanted to know if you'd do me a really big favor,"_

"... And that favor is...?"

_"Well, I think it'd be awesome if you could -"_

Armin abruptly stopped in the middle of his sentence with a small squeak, the sound of the phone being passed over to another person (or taken from him, either one was accurate enough) making Eren furrow his brow. Levi noticed this and momentarily looked over his shoulder, pouring a small spoonful of sugar into his own coffee.

Armin's muffled giggles were heard in the background as a new voice greeted, "_So, Jaeger,"_

"Ew," Eren sneered, straightening up a bit in his seat. "What do _you _want, horse-face?"

_"It's nothing that bad, I promise,"_ another loud squeak was heard in the background before he continued, _"My mom's out of town starting Friday, and I'm throwing a party that night. Armin wants you to and Levi to come,"_

Levi returned with their coffee mugs, passing one to Eren, the warmth that was radiating from the glass feeling so welcoming to him. "What makes you think we'd come?"

_"Well, you're going to show up because I'm holding your little friend hostage,"_ right after he said that, Armin screamed for help, and that plea was accompanied by hysterical laughter. Jean chuckled brightly then cleared his throat, adding gruffly, _"You have five days,"_

Armin's second plea for help was cut off. Eren blinked twice before taking the phone away from his ear, looking over to Levi in question. The raven was sitting in the chair opposite to him and idly stirring his coffee, shaking his head with an amused grin. Eren caught his eye, which made him snap out of it and take a sip from his mug, the warm liquid warming his chest as it traveled down his esophagus.

"Why aren't you that playful with me?" Eren asked, a lighthearted smile tugging at his lips.

Levi shrugged and set his mug down, answering gruffly, "What, do you want me to tickle you to near death and lather you with pickup lines and stupid nicknames?"

Eren nodded vigorously. "Yeah, why not?"

"Not happening," he stated simply, bringing his mug up to his lips.

"But why not?"

"The only nicknames I have for you are 'brat', 'shitty brat', and 'hunter,'"

"Hmph... I've never given you a nickname, have I?"

Levi's eyes darkened as set his mug aside, growling lowly, "Don't you dare,"

"Why not, sweetie?" Eren asked, trying his hardest to sound completely innocent and blind.

"I'm warning you,"

Eren held his hands up to his chest and intertwined his fingers, sighing dramatically, "Oh, Levi, my heart's dearest! My darling Levi! My sweet, adorable little pookie!"

Levi threateningly slammed his fists on the table as he stood up, and lucky for them, their mugs didn't fall over. The act itself was intimidating enough to get Eren to dart out of his seat. Eren dashed out of the kitchen as fast as he could, with Levi swiftly chasing right behind him.

**o0o0o0o**

_(Friday)_

The next week passed by normally (whatever may be considered normal) for them, and that Friday, Eren and Levi showed up to Jean's little party as promised. Well, it wasn't exactly little; Jean was a pretty 'popular' student, so of course, he invited whoever the hell he spoke to. Playing a sport in high school really does get people to like you, it seems. It was already October and the evenings were starting to get cold, and despite Eren treating the house as if it held the plague, he enjoyed the welcoming heat. Various students were talking and gossiping in their small areas, but the host himself wasn't anywhere to be found.

Levi's eye twitched with major disapproval as Eren was hauled off by Reiner, who insisted on teaching him certain basketball moves. From what he's heard, Reiner spent the last few months trying to get Eren to join the basketball team. Eren gave him an apologetic look and reassured him, saying that he'd be back in a couple of minutes or so. Now, it's been thirty minutes and Eren hasn't returned. Levi scanned the area with only mild interest, taking note of how clean the house seemed despite so many students being there, and he assumed the colorful streamers were the works of Armin. He leaned back against a table that held the drinks and extra plastic cups – hell, there were even drinks waiting to be taken. The decency people have.

Next to him, a monotonous voice asked; "You're bored, too?"

He turned his head towards his visitor's direction, only to see that it was Mikasa. "I'm going to die here if Hunter doesn't come back soon,"

Mikasa invited herself next to him, crossing her arms over her chest as she sighed, "Eren left?"

"That Reiner kid's teaching him how to play basketball,"

"Ah. No wonder,"

There was a small pause between the two. They both stood in silence besides the loud music and voices around them. A couple of minutes passed by before Levi questioned, "What about you? What happened to your girlfriend?"

"With Connie," Mikasa replied, tilting her head towards the kitchen area.

When Levi looked over to where she gestured to, he saw that Sasha and Connie were fighting over a sweet with ridiculous poses. He also noticed that Mikasa was watching the two out of the corner of her eye, a genuine smile hidden behind her scarf. Sasha snatched the sweet out of Connie's hands and swiftly ducked into the nearest hallway, laughing brightly as Connie chased after her. Their stupidity was enough to bring a very faint smile on Levi's thin lips.

"How long do you think the party's going to last?"

Levi returned his tranquil gaze onto a photo of Jean set above the fireplace. "Not sure yet,"

"Are you going to get a drink?"

He saw that Mikasa was gesturing to the drinks behind them. One had been knocked over onto the floor (which nearly made him cringe in disgust) while the other sat waiting for someone. Mikasa took that one in her hand and offered to Levi, who shook his head.

"No, thanks. I'm not thirsty,"

With that, Mikasa shrugged and looked away, her attention taken back to Sasha, who was now chasing after Connie over the same damned sweet. Levi had the strong urge to clean up the mess someone else made, the red cup starting to torture him on the inside. Giving into his cleanliness, he crouched down to pick up the cup, taking it into his hand with a grimace. Just as he was about to look for a trash can, something caught his eye; there was powder sprinkled on the rim. He brought it up much closer, examining it thoroughly through narrowed eyes. Why would there be white powder on a cup? Or rather, what type of powder was it? It couldn't be sugar.

Levi looked up and curiously scanned the area, his eyes halting on a houseplant that was almost completely hidden in the shadow of the crowd next to it. The furrow in his brow deepened significantly at the sight of a bottle partially hidden behind the leaves. The bottle itself was familiar, far too familiar for his comfort. It couldn't be...

"... Cyanide?" he breathed, looking down at the cup and throwing it aside as if it held a disease.

People all around him were drinking the same juice, so the source itself wasn't poisoned... but the ones that were already prepared were. He looked over his shoulder and paled when Mikasa brought it up to her lips, and without a warning, he gripped her forearm and slapped the drink out of her hand. Just as she was about to flare at him, he pressed the palm of his hand against her lips, his glare keeping her silent.

"That drink was poisoned," Levi said quietly, his tone low enough for only her to hear. He nodded over to the house plant, the way her eyes widened confirming that he wasn't seeing things. "I just saved your life, princess, you better be happy. But... who could it be?"

A sudden movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention, making him cock his head toward that direction. Someone ducked into the hallway nearest to them – the area was pitch black, making it the perfect place to hide in. Levi pulled away from Mikasa and waved for her to follow, swiftly dashing into the same hallway. He stood motionless as his eyes adjusted to the very dim lighting, fidgeting with slight discomfort as Mikasa gripped his shoulder. He won't deny that he felt some sort of fear – first, his brakes were disabled, and now, someone was trying to poison him. Levi growled impatiently as he walked along the hallway, straining his ears through the dull music and voices for something, anything.

At the end of the hallway, a very dim light shined through the darkness, so on instinct, they went to investigate. As they crept up on the door, they heard a muffled voice and a loud thump against the wall. Mikasa's grip on his shoulder tightened, warning him not to go in just yet, but he shrugged her off completely and turned the doorknob. Their muscles tensed in preparation to defend themselves, but as Levi swung the door wide open and stepped inside, he abruptly stopped in his tracks with slightly widened eyes.

Jean and Armin instantly jumped apart; Armin blushed furiously as he pulled the two halves of his dress shirt together while Jean pinched the bridge of his nose. Levi cleared his throat as Mikasa uncomfortably readjusted her scarf.

"Do you fucking mind?" Jean snapped viciously.

"Er – We're sorry,"

As soon as they closed the door, Mikasa sighed lowly, "God damn it, why'd you have to do that?"

"What? Didn't think you'd catch your innocent baby doing something naughty?" Levi hissed at her, pulling her away from the door.

At the entrance of the hallway, they saw that someone was standing there. It was still too dark to see, but even so, that person turned and disappeared off into the crowd. Levi sprinted off to catch the suspect, with Mikasa trailing right behind him, but as soon as he stepped back into the living room, he nearly collided into someone. That someone was Eren, who backed away with a small gasp.

"What's the hurry?" Eren asked, giving the two a highly questioning look.

Both of the ravens looked over his shoulder for anyone that seemed suspicious, but at the other side of the room, the front door snapped shut. Levi gripped Eren's shoulders and asked, "Who just left right now?"

"Huh?" Eren tilted his head to the side and answered, "I think Reiner and Bertolt just left the party, if that's what you're asking. They taught me a few things until Bertolt wanted to go home,"

Before Levi could say anything, Mikasa cut in, "Did they go anywhere else?"

"Nope. They dropped me off here right before they left,"

The two ravens sighed in unison. Their little chase was entirely fruitless. Levi's eye twitched when he saw that the bottle had disappeared from the plant. Mikasa gave him a reassuring pat on the back before she stalked off to retrieve her lover. She was most likely going to leave before something happened. That was a smart thing to do. Levi brushed off Eren's questions and gripped his hand, pulling him through the crowd and out the front door without a word.

"Levi? Are you okay?" Eren asked for what seemed like the millionth time, shivering as the cold air bit at his skin.

Levi hesitated for a moment and said, "There's just something off about that party that I really don't like. It's best if we just leave now,"

Eren was going to question him again, but he caught his tongue and remained silent. He watched as Levi pulled his coat tighter around himself to gain some sort of warmth, his silver eyes quickly scanning the area. A curious thought ran through his mind; now that he payed close attention to it, was Levi starting to take much more precaution on everyday situations? That was a good thing, in one sense or another; Levi was no longer suicidal, but does that mean that now he's just paranoid?

That was the only question he had now – what was there to be paranoid about?


	26. Lies

**Note:** I've jumped 100 followers and I'm screaming. I love you all. In other news, I now have a vague idea of what chapter I'm going to get rid of the Special Operations Squad, which means I also kind of know how soon this fanfic is ending. Help.

**Disclaimer:** The game mentioned in this chapter does not belong to me.

* * *

_**Chapter Twenty-six; Lies**_

The weather was finally starting to get colder by the morning, and at this point, Eren was having troubles waking up in time to get to school. Praise the Lord he had Mikasa to drag him out of bed every morning. His bed just felt so comfy and warm in those frigid mornings, it was almost impossible to get out of it. He wasn't the first to arrive at the library this morning, though; when he got there, he saw that Armin and Levi were already sitting at their usual corner.

"Morning," Eren greeted, yawning into the back of his hand.

While Levi merely nodded with a faint smile, Armin pointed out, "Eren, you look terrible,"

Eren rolled his eyes and took a seat next to Levi, muttering quietly, "Rude,"

"No, I wasn't trying to offend you," Armin said. "you just look really tired. What time did you go to sleep last night?"

Armin and Levi exchanged quick glances when Eren shook his head and murmured, "Early enough. Don't worry about it,"

"If you stayed up late, was it to continue your hellish novel?" Levi asked, his voice sounding bored yet lingering on the border of impatient like it usually was.

"... Don't worry about it," Eren repeated as he curled up in his seat.

"Eren,"

Just having Levi say his first name brought a shiver down his spine. At the sight of their concerned looks (or rather, Armin's worried expression and Levi's calculating eyes), he sighed heavily and looked away. "... It's Armin's fault,"

"How dare you!" Armin gasped dramatically. "I didn't tell you to – unless you – wait, Eren -"

"- I may or may not have stayed up playing Dramatical Murder," Eren said, embarassment clear in his voice. "But the good news is, half of the new chapter is done. Kind of. I think..."

Levi buried his face into the palm of his hand and Armin nodded with a very pleased grin. Before his lover could lecture him on the importance of going to sleep early, Eren set his backpack on the table and searched through it. While Armin quietly celebrated, he pulled out his notebook and flipped to a familiar page. He presented it to the blonde, who took it in hand with a curious spark of the eye.

Levi crossed one leg over the other and rest his head on one folded hand, watching as Armin skimmed through the notes. "I'm surprised you could read that,"

"I've dealt with it for years and I learned that his lower-cased E's aren't C's, the X's on his I's are normal, and his letters are always bunched up together,"

"Thanks for the key to his chicken scratch, kid,"

Eren blushed and muttered fiercely, "Penmanship is bullshit, anyways!"

After another minute of Armin piecing the notes together, he came across something and asked Eren with a depressed sigh, "Now you're planning on killing off Petra? She's so nice, and why this early?"

"Well, I'm not getting rid of her when I finish the chapter later on today. It's too early for that," despite seeing Levi's eye twitch with major disapproval, Eren continued, "but it's for the sake of the story, just like everything else. I thought I mentioned somewhere in there that she was going to be murdered during an expedition,"

"That caught my eye," Armin mused. "It could be that female Titan, and Levi told me that you were having issues adding in a female type. It could work if you pass it on as a Titan shifter. She'd have to be pretty smart to kill Petra and company, right? Or as you call it, the Special Operations Squad,"

"'Levi's Squad' would have been so much easier," Levi cut in with a grin.

Eren gave his lover a playful nudge and huffed, "'Levi's Squad' isn't professional,"

"And what do_ you_ know about what's professional?"

Before they could start bickering, Armin lightly whacked the back of Levi's head with the notebook and asked, "So are we going to put these together or not?"

Levi clucked his tongue impatiently and plucked the notebook out of his hand, pulling Eren's backpack closer to him and reaching in for a pencil. He managed to find a pen through the mess and circled the idea that concerned the female Titan, drawing an arrow pointing to the Special Operations Squad. "If Petra dies, it's going to be for a good reason. Eren's going to figure that out on his own. But Oluo... I don't mind if he dies from biting his tongue off and bleeding out,"

"That's so mean, don't say that!" Armin scolded, snatching the notebook and pen out of his hands. Drawing a small chart, he wrote down the nicknames for given Titans (Colossal Titan, Armored Titan) and handed it to Eren. "First, you need to find out who those Titan shifters are. You're the only one we know about so far, but at this point, that's not enough,"

"I'll have it done before Halloween rolls by," Eren yawned, stuffing the items back in his bag.

"Also, let me read over what you have so far, okay? Honestly, Eren," the blonde sighed, wrapping an arm around him. "at least take a nap before you start writing. This isn't healthy,"

Armin looked up at Levi and shivered when he was met with a cold glare, laughing weakly as he pulled away from Eren. "So, what are you going to dress up as this year?

While Eren passed him the flash drive, he growled, "Not sure yet. Levi says we're too old to go trick-or-treating,"

"But it's free candy!" Armin whined. The sound of the library door creaking open caught his brief attention, and he saw his lover's brilliant amber eyes searching for him. Standing up from his seat with a bright smile, he said, "Ah, oh well, right? I guess I'll talk to you two later,"

They watched as he cheerfully trotted over to Jean, who greeted him with a quick peck on the cheek. As much as Eren hates to admit it, those two were adorable as hell together. Eren didn't even notice Levi take his binder out of his backpack with a disgusted grimace, muttering something about 'messy brats.' Eren curiously tilted his head to the side and watched as Levi started to organize the papers.

The brunette reached out to retrieve his mess. "Why are you organizing my binder?"

Levi slapped his hand away and grumbled, "I've told you so many times to keep your fucking binder organized and this is what I see. Did you loose my notes _again?_"

"They're somewhere in there,"

With a small glare, Levi flipped through numerous papers, some of them being assignments, notes, or small drawings of different sized blades and bi-colored wings. Eren nudged Levi's shoulder, trying to gain his attention. "Levi?"

The raven refused to say anything. Eren tried again, "Levi?"

No reply.

"Giving me the silent treatment now?"

When he received no type of answer whatsoever, he started to nudge his lover's shoulder. Growing impatient, he wrapped his arms around Levi's middle with a playful growl, nipping at the shell of his ear. Levi set down a paper that contained various models of crests and rolled up a small pile of notes, swatting Eren over the head with it. Eren pulled away with a pout, rubbing the area that had been hit.

"You deserve punishment," Levi snapped. At the sight of Eren's large, innocent eyes and puffed out cheeks, the raven pressed a very quick kiss to his forehead and pulled away. "There, _now_ you deserve punishment,"

"No, I don't," Eren said, his tone sounding little and broken.

He continued to stare as Levi organized the biology section, and after a few minutes of just doing that, Levi let out a small 'tch' and wrapped an arm around him. "I swear to God, Hunter, you're going to be the death of me,"

"I know,"

Eren watched as Levi organized different papers into various sections of his binder, eventually starting to lose interest. Instead, he cautiously ran his hand along the arm that was wrapped around his shoulder. He felt Levi momentarily tense when he curiously pulled his sleeve down (with minor difficulty), revealing the very many wristbands his lover wore. Eren pulled on the ones that were covering the start of his wrist, successfully undoing them. He set them aside and ran his thumb along the abused skin, lightly caressing the healing scars and cringing inwardly at the roughness of the scabs that crossed over one another.

He felt Levi nuzzle into his messy hair and breathe, "I didn't break that promise, you know,"

Eren merely turned to kiss his lover, who gladly complied. Levi kissed Eren gently and enjoyed the feeling of Eren's soft lips on his, reluctantly pulling away to continue organizing his binder. The brunette's eyes drooped at this, but he brushed it off and put Levi's wristbands back where they belonged. Instead, he thought back to what Armin asked him earlier; what was he going to dress up as this year? Surely Levi would participate again, but he highly doubts that Armin will be the one that provides the costume. He's noticed a change in Armin's attitude when it came to sewing, and that was most likely because of what happened at the sewing club.

As soon as Levi closed the binder with an accomplished nod, the bell rang. They walked to first period together with their fingers loosely weaved together, with Eren admiring how much less his binder weighed without all of the useless papers, old assignments, and crossed out drawings.

**o0o0o0o**

It was already the third week of October, meaning that Halloween was in ten days. Eren only had ten days to figure out what he was going to dress up as; it was already too late to order something and Armin simply refused to sew anything. Since Levi was required to participate in every event (including wearing a costume for Halloween), he decided to dress up as a vampire. It was simple, and all he really needed was fangs in order for it to count. At this point, Eren was debating whether to look through his closet for something convincing, but Armin promised he'd provide a costume. As reassuring as that may sound, Armin was tiny compared to Eren, so God knows how that's going to turn out.

Eren was disappointed to hear that Levi had to stay after school [again] to work on decorations for the Halloween dance, but at least Armin was staying, as well. Armin and Bertolt were in the library like usual, but this time, Armin was helping the librarian put various books back on the shelves. Bertolt was skimming through a thick book in the corner of the library, his eyes swiftly scanning through each page as if he were looking for something specific. As Eren approached Armin, he noticed that the blonde was having trouble trying to put a book back on the shelf. The shelf it was supposed to be in was too high for him to reach, even while he was on the tips of his toes.

Armin flinched when Eren asked, "Need help there?"

"Jesus Christ, Eren, don't do that to me!" Armin snapped, retracting his arm. Rubbing at his sore shoulder, he thought for a moment and gasped, "You should help me!"

Eren reached for the book, but Armin jerked it out of his reach and added, "Pick me up,"

His brow furrowed at the request. "But why? Wouldn't it be easier if I just put it back for you?"

"This would make things ten times funner!" Armin giggled, holding the book high above his head.

Eren couldn't help but chuckle. Armin was adorable as hell, and his overenthusiastic and optimistic side really did brighten up the mood. Eren did as he requested, wrapping his arms around the blonde's middle and lifting him up just high enough to reach the topmost shelf. With a lighthearted giggle, Armin kicked his feet in the air, adding in another request for Eren to carry him to the front desk.

While Armin hummed a cheerful tune, they heard Bertolt's mildly amused voice, "I didn't know you were that strong, Eren,"

"It's not that," Eren laughed, "It's just Armin. He's really light,"

"Enough for you to kidnap him," Bertolt mused quietly, readjusting a pile of books in his arms.

"What're you doing with books on poison?" Armin asked curiously, pointing at one of the book titles.

Bertolt shifted from one foot to the other. "I'm working on a report that's due before Halloween. I don't like it... there's so many poisons in the world, and all of the effects they have on people are r- really unnerving..."

"Well, then why do it?" Eren asked, tightening his hold around Armin so he wouldn't fall. "It's Senior year, Bertl. Just let it go,"

"Imagine Mr. Smith hearing you say that," Bertolt said, a faint grin forming on his lips. "Also, why are you holding Armin like that?"

"It feels like I'm actually your height," Armin hummed, a very broad smile on his face.

Eren thought for a moment and said, "Hm... But you're right, you know... I could kidnap Armin,"

Before the blonde could react, Eren shifted his childhood friend under one arm while the other hand was used to cover his mouth. Armin's eyes widened when he found himself being held around the middle at Eren's side, thrashing in his grip for release.

"Levi's probably done decorating the gym by now. Well, I guess I'll see you later," the shorter brunette said, waving as he walked towards the library door.

"Unhand me, fiend!" Armin snapped angrily, flailing and kicking. "You monster! Barbarian! Swine!"

Even the librarian was laughing at this point, which Armin took as a major betrayal. Right as Eren reached the door, he set Armin back down on his feet, the entire act being a little joke to lighten up Bertolt's mood. That was a mistake, though; he hissed in pain as Armin delivered a swift punch to his shoulder. God, was the little guy strong when he really wanted to be. At least Bertolt was smiling broadly, his eyes bright with cheerfulness for once.

After that incident, Eren left to the gym to see if his lover really was done with the decorations. He was grateful that Armin apologized for punching him, and with that, the blonde trotted into the back room to receive the rest of the books that needed to be placed back on the shelves. The school campus was quiet, and abnormally cold... or was that just him? Sure, the weather was already turning to a much lower degree at this time of year, but this was a different feeling. It was the feeling of being watched, or even _followed_, and he was taught over the years not to look back in this kind of situation.

As soon as he heard footsteps, he whirled around to see who it was. Surprisingly, no one was there, not even a teacher or a janitor. Even the school police ceased to be seen anywhere near him. Was he just overreacting, or was it just the fact that Halloween was just around the corner? Surely it's just the spirit starting to get to him. A shiver wracked his body when he heard thunder in the distance, and when he looked up, he realized that there were dark clouds forming a thick blanket over the sky. It'd be wise to leave soon. He continued on anyways, and when he got to the gym, he heard the sound of students laughing and talking excitedly about the holiday, along with the faint sound of paper being torn and the thuds of cardboard boxes hitting the floor. Sure enough, when he stepped inside the gym, the Student Government was working hard to put up the decorations while others worked on props in the corner of the room. It was much warmer in the gym than it was outside.

Eren flinched when he felt someone wrap their arms around him from behind, squealing happily, "Eren, it's been so long since I've seen you!"

"Hanji, you're going to scare him away,"

Eren was relieved to see that Levi was towards his left, but he had troubles moving to go greet him since Hanji had basically draped herself over him. "I'm not scaring him! Right, Eren?"

"I don't think so," Eren grunted, shifting uncomfortably in her rib-crushing hold. "But you're going to kill me i- if you squeeze any harder,"

"My bad!" Hanji giggled, finally letting go and stepping away from him. She stalked over to Levi's side and asked, "What brings you here, stranger?"

"I was looking for Levi,"

Levi crossed his arms over his chest and sighed impatiently, "I can't leave just yet. These bastards are holding me here for the entire time,"

"That's because you always leave early," Hanji said. She spotted a nearby roll of black streamers and retrieved it, shoving it into Levi's hands and continuing, "You get to leave after you put some of these up,"

While Levi hissed out a string of curse words under his breath, Hanji hooked her arm around Eren's and pulled him off into the gym. She sensed Levi's death glare, but she ignored the strong shiver that ran down her spine and started to talk to Eren on science-related topics. On their way to the other side of the room, various members of the government cheerfully greeted Eren while others ignored him completely. Eren's eyes momentarily widened when he was abruptly pulled to the side, but he instantly understood why when he saw that it was a pair of scissors that was thrown in their direction. In front of him, Petra was smacking Oluo over the head with a roll of orange wallpaper, each smack seeming to get harder than the last.

"You don't throw scissors, you idiot!" Petra growled angrily, delivering another blow after each word. "You could have hurt someone!"

"Ooh, looks like you gave her an excuse to beat Oluo," Hanji whispered excitedly into Eren's ear, watching as Oluo tried to swat the wallpaper away from his head. "Now all we need is for someone to throw a chair,"

Their attention was turned back towards the small group when Gunther asked, "Hanji, what are you doing to him?"

"Nothing horrible!" she promised, unhooking her arm from Eren's and pushing him towards Gunther and Eld, who both gave him a friendly smile. "Take care of my pet Eren, okay? I'll be right back!"

"She's crazy sometimes," Gunther huffed as soon as Hanji stalked off.

Eld shook his head and pointed towards Petra and Oluo, chuckling lightly, "Not as bad as Petra, though,"

At the mention of her name, Petra glanced at them through large hazel eyes, the wallpaper roll held above her head in mid-swing. She would have looked innocent if she wasn't brandishing the paper as if it were a sword. Petra gave one of the friendliest smiles she could muster up as she delivered one final blow, humming sweetly, "Hi, Eren!"

"She's mental!" Oluo snarled, scampering away from her once he saw that she was finally giving him a chance to run away.

Petra propped the roll on her shoulder as if it were a baseball bat, her tone sounding completely innocent as she pouted, "What do you mean? I'm harmless!"

Eren scratched the nape of his neck and asked, "Er... what work do you guys have left?"

Petra bit her lip and thought for a moment, handing Gunther the wallpaper as he and Eld walked past her. "Depends. Before we leave for tonight or before the dance?"

"Tonight, I guess,"

"We have to put away the supplies and get rid of the old piano," she gestured to where the other two were heading, and sure enough, the back doors were wide open and various students were pushing a piano out the door. "It doesn't fit behind the bleachers and we don't know where to put it. I wonder why Mr. Smith kept it here for so long,"

With that, she started to walk over to where the others were taking it. Eren followed her, questioning, "Didn't it used to be in the cafeteria?"

Before Petra replied, she jumped at the sound of the thunder cracking in the distance, but she brushed it off with a flustered giggle, "Yeah, but then we moved it. Students kept playing with the keys, and that's kinda why it's missing a few,"

Just outside the back doors was a white truck parked behind a tall rack of folded chairs, the back of it open with a ramp waiting to be used. Many of the stronger and older students pitched in to push it up the ramp, the weight of the piano itself making it hard for the younger government members to move it themselves. They were hastening to get the job done because of the smokey gray clouds that were threatening to pour above them. The driver himself was hired by the teacher, and currently, he was talking to the woman who was in charge of the leadership course, both looking over a worn clipboard. What caught his eye was that Annie was there with them... why would Annie have any interest in staying after with the Student Government?

It was as if Petra read his mind; "You're wondering about Annie, too, huh? Mr. Smith really does trust her with a lot of things, doesn't he?"

"How did you know?" Eren gasped.

"Well, he was here not too long ago," Petra sighed, watching as one of the stronger males in the government readjusted the two front broken legs of the piano before removing the ramp and closing the door. "He told us about Annie. She gained his trust after being some type of assistant in the school for the last four years. I guess she knows how to do things right the first time, huh? He hasn't had a student help around like this for years,"

He hummed softly, "You know Mr. Smith personally?"

"Kind of. I met him a few weeks after I first started seeing Levi,"

Eren's brow furrowed significantly. "What do you mean by 'seeing?'"

An intense blush stained Petra's cheeks as she frantically waved her hands and spluttered, "Nothing, Eren, d- don't worry about it!"

"... But..."

His curiosity was brushed aside as he watched one of the students press against the door to make sure it would stay, conversing brightly with the other helpers. If he remembered correctly, that was Darius, but that's all he knew about the kid. Darius laughed along with a group of other students as Gunther told them an amusing story, slumping down on the concrete floor right behind the truck while others perched on sides. The driver merely smiled to show his approval, which mildly surprised Eren. The story that they were laughing about didn't catch Eren's attention in the slightest, but what did catch his attention, though, was the way the door on the back of the truck shook with each movement.

He also noticed that Annie had lost interest in the driver and the teacher, and instead of paying attention to what they were saying, she watched the door through narrowed eyes. She was most likely suspicious about the door, as well, but she didn't do anything about it, and nor did he. Eren had the constant feeling of his stomach being compressed with each thick gulp, but he knew he was being paranoid. Who wouldn't be after all these deaths? He cleared his throat and looked around for Levi, and to his greatest dismay, his lover wasn't anywhere near him. Right when he looked back, he saw that Annie had disappeared, and so did the other two adults with her. That scared him much more than it should have.

After scanning the area for Petra, he saw that the blonde was bickering with Oluo _again_, so he decided to wander back into the gym and drag Levi out of the building. But right when he turned his back, he heard a loud creak and a thud, followed by a pained hiss. Turning back to investigate was the biggest mistake he could have made. The door on the back of the truck unhinged and fell down, and since Darius was in the way, it hit the back of his head. He let out an irritated growl and scooted away from the area, allowing the door to hang down completely (when it was supposed to stay parallel to the ground). But that was the only support the piano had. The legs that were already broken cracked and fell out of place, allowing the heavy instrument itself to fall forward out of the truck.

Eren's eyes widened significantly as everything seemed to pass by in slow motion; Darius tried to crawl backwards away from the piano, but he wasn't quick enough. Gravity brought the piano down hard against the ground with a loud crash mixed with the split-second shriek of the keys. The sharp edge of the eight-hundred pound instrument collided into the base of Darius' neck and collar, successfully crushing him with the weight. A good amount of blood spurted from his slightly parted lips as his eyes dulled completely, his body becoming limp within the first few seconds. Eren wasn't sure if he should be grateful for the noise of the crash itself covering the sound of his bones shattering, but at this point, his heart was pounding against his chest and his face had paled significantly.

It was like everything dulled around him. He felt extremely lightheaded, and he could see the students panicking and hastening to call for help quite clearly, but he couldn't hear them. It took him a moment to realize that he was pressing the palm of his hands hard against his ears, his limbs shaking dangerously with fear. Some students ran away with terrified screams, some hastened to get the piano off of Darius, some even started to hyperventilate and others called for the authorities.

Eren flinched when he felt someone grip his wrist, only to see that it was Petra, meeting her tearful eyes with a gasp. She successfully wrenched his hand away from his ear and squeaked, "Eren, you need to leave,"

Her tone was high-pitched and completely broken, and that only made him feel worse. He shook his head and stammered, "W- We need to help them, we n- need -"

"Don't make me repeat myself," Petra snapped sternly despite the way her voice trembled.

That alone was enough to get Eren's legs to move. Petra gripped him by the forearm with both hands and forced him away from the scene, uttering things about calling the police and principle Erwin. He ignored this and tried to pull away from her, but when he looked back over his shoulder, his jade-green eyes whited when he realized that most of the students were glaring at him. Almost all of them, all the different kinds of glares of every intensity piercing right into his very being. They used to be so cheerful and friendly towards him, but now, they clearly stated their hatred through looks. Eren slowly looked back to the front, tears welling in the corner of his eyes.

The world is filled with lies. He felt like he was actually accepted by these students, the leaders of the school and the role models of younger students, but in reality, he was never accepted in the fist place. All of them put up facades and tricked him. Just as they passed through the doors, they nearly ran into Levi. Petra momentarily paused with a shudder while Eren glanced up at Levi, giving him a hopeful look. Levi was the only one that ever accepted him. His world crashed and broke down when Levi looked over him once, shook his head and turned his attention towards the scene, muttering something that sounded very close to 'fucking brats' under his breath. At that moment, they heard the loud crack of thunder, but this one was much closer than the last.

"... Why?"

"Why what, Eren?" Petra asked.

He ignored her completely. The only thing he heard was the muffled voices from the outside and their footsteps. Eren wrenched himself out of Petra's grip and pushed himself away from her, pressing himself back against the wall and slowly sinking down to the ground. He sighed heavily as he weaved his fingers through his hair, trying to figure out exactly why he was hurting when he wasn't even harmed by anything [physically]. He looked up and saw that Petra had her eyes closed and her hands weaved together in a small fist, whispering something under her breath. She seemed to be praying.

Eren didn't know how long he spent watching Petra pray (because frankly, it comforted him in a weird way or another), but it caught them both by full surprise when they heard their vice-principle ask, "What happened?"

"M- Mr. Smith," Petra gasped.

Erwin's voice was filled with earnest concern; "Are you two okay?"

They both nodded, and with that, Erwin questioned gently, "Where's Levi?"

"In the back... w- with everyone else..." Petra breathed, shuddering violently as the scene flashed in her mind. The day started out so perfectly... who knew things could turn to a much darker level with no warning whatsoever?

Erwin held his breath for a moment as his gaze flicked between Eren and Petra, and after a few moments, he nodded and hurried into the building. Petra let out a troubled noise as she went in right after him, apologizing to Eren in the process. This made Eren exhale sharply with disbelief; even Petra left him in a situation like this. Everything people say are _lies_.

Petra nearly squeaked when she bit into her lip, her teeth very close to tearing the plump flesh. She followed close behind Erwin, who gave her a reassuring squeeze to the shoulder. While he went to investigate, Petra stayed at the other side of the door, her face extremely pale with the faint image of Darius in her mind. She flinched when someone abruptly stepped through the door, but she sighed when she saw that it was Levi. The furrow in his brow was deeper than usual and his knuckles were whited with how strongly he was clenching his fists.

"Are you okay?" Levi asked softly. When Petra nodded, he searched the room and muttered, "You took Eren outside, right?"

"I did,"

He gripped Petra's shoulders and demanded, "What happened? Is he all right?"

"I don't know. He looks dead inside," Petra replied quietly, her vision starting to blur with her tears. "You shouldn't have left him like that, Levi. The look he had on his face... it's like he lost all hope in humanity..."

The raven stared at her in disbelief. "What do you mean? I didn't leave him,"

"Technically, you did," Petra snapped. "He's been blaming himself for all these accidents the entire time and the first you do _right after _a friend of his dies is brush him off!"

"I... I didn't..." Levi retracted his hand as if he had been burned, stepping away from her to create some sort of distance. Processing the situation in his mind, he muttered, "I thought you would have taken care of him while I helped clean up the mess those retarded brats made,"

Petra gripped his forearm to keep him from running away. "It's not anyone's fault in particular, Levi, don't blame it on others,"

"I'm not blaming it on others," he growled dangerously as if warning her to let go.

Despite the constant urge to break down into tears, Petra said just as strongly, "Sure, it was an accident that wouldn't have happened if Darius didn't sit behind that truck or if someone checked that the door wasn't broken in the first place. I might of known Eren for only a few months, but from what I've seen, he's thinking everything's his fault when it's not,"

Unsure of what to reply with, Levi asked, "Where did you leave him?"

"Just outside the door," the blonde replied, tilting her head over to the entrance of the gym. "He didn't look to good. You better go take care of him,"

"And you?"

Petra shrugged and murmured, "I'll just... help clean up here, I guess..."

Her eyes widened significantly when she felt Levi pull her into a very tight embrace. Levi ran his hand up her back in a comforting manner, chuckling lightly, "I hope you're all right. You always cared for everyone and everything but yourself,"

"That's just how I am, I guess," she hummed, almost reluctantly pulling away from Levi's embrace. Just that small moment was enough to calm her down, but the feeling of his arms around her brought back certain feelings she forced herself away from. "Now's not the time to get sentimental with me, though. Go check if he's okay. I'll text you when I get home,"

With that, they went separate ways. Levi subconsciously swiped a hand over his bracelets as he stepped out of the gym, his silver eyes wandering over the area. Petra said that Eren was just outside the door, but he wasn't there. Levi hissed out a profanity as he came to the realization that Eren must have done something stupid with his blind guilt. All around him, raindrops were slowly starting to splash onto the ground, the downpour gradually getting heavier. He darted back into the building to go retrieve his backpack and binder, slipping his phone out of his pocket to call Eren as he did so.

**o0o0o0o**

Armin cheerfully sang along to a song on his phone as he dug through his cupboards for whipped cream, eventually finding a half-empty can. Ryuzaki let out a small meow as he stalked into the room, curiously watching his owner shake the can of whipped cream. Armin nearly tripped when he felt Ryuzaki weave around his ankles, and with a small sigh, he scooped the cat up into his arms and set him on the counter. The animal's tail flicked this way and that as it explored the small area, eventually finding a wind charm to play with. The warmth radiating from the oven and the music he was playing was enough to brighten up the dull mood; raindrops danced on the rooftops and thunder roared every so often, the windows already fogged up from the weather.

His grandfather returned a few minutes prior, glad to see that he was baking a pumpkin pie. While he watched Ryuzaki paw at the wind chime, the oven beeped loudly to signal that it was done. Armin giggled when Ryuzaki's ears twitched, curiously stalking over to the oven to investigate. To keep the cat from accidentally harming himself, Armin set him back on the tiled floor, earning a disappointed whine. Right when he took the pie out of the oven, the music that was playing on his phone was interrupted with an incoming call, making him groan.

He set the pie aside on a wooden chopping board, picking up the phone and answering brightly, "Hello?"

_"Where's Eren?"_

It was Levi.

Armin pressed the phone to his ear with his shoulder as he threw the oven mitts aside. "No, I thought he went home with you,"

_"No, he didn't,"_ Levi snapped angrily. _"Where is he?"_

"I don't know," he replied.

He heard Levi cluck his tongue impatiently, deadpanning slowly, _"Don't lie to me, Armin. You know where he is, don't you?"_

"I seriously don't know where he went," Armin stammered. He won't deny that Levi's growl was frightening, even over the phone.

_"If I find out you're lying to me, you're going to regret it,"_

Before Armin could respond with anything, the doorbell rang. He muttered, "I'm not, and someone's at the door,"

The blonde didn't even bother hanging up the phone, knowing full well that Levi would skin him alive if he did. No one's crazy enough to be out at this time, so who would be at his doorstep? He padded up to the front door and unlocked it, wrenching it open with a curious hum. He gasped when he was met with large jade-green eyes.

"C-C- Can I- I please come i- in?"

Armin stared in disbelief when he saw Eren standing in front of him, completely soaked and dangerously shaking from head to toe. With a hesitant nod, Armin brought the phone back up to his ear and sighed, "Found him,"

* * *

**Extra Note:**

_FreedomWriter97:_ I've gotten that from a ton of people, and frankly, it'd be awesome to write in the Final Destination movies. Hell, it feels like I'm pulling a Final Destination with this one even though I know for a fact it's not working in that sense. But the best causes of death are reserved for the characters we all know and love~


End file.
